An Unlikely Meeting Between Two Unlikely Paths
by Gryffindor1045
Summary: Natalie Malkae, unknown daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange, comes to Hogwarts for her 6th year. Little did she know that she would fall for Harry Potter and play a vital role in the fight against her birth mother and Lord Voldemort.
1. A Meeting with the Headmaster

Chapter One- A Meeting with the Headmaster

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Natalie. A pleasure to meet you my girl. I do believe it's the first time for both of us."

At the entrance to the Headmaster's office, Natalie Malkae stood, her mouth gaping slightly and her eyes wide with wonder. In front of her, Albus Dumbledore, the man she had read and heard so much about, was standing with his hand extended to her. Her mind was blank, her muscles were constrained and her throat was dry. She was numb with shock. Slowly and almost mechanically, she brought her hand to meet his and somehow managed to mutter a weak hello.

Dumbledore gave her a warm smile and gestured towards the desk and chairs at the back of the office. "Come. Do sit down. We certainly have a lot to talk about." He then turned towards the older woman who had just walked in with Natalie and exclaimed loudly, "Kalissa! What a long time it has been. You look just as young as you did 16 years ago."

Kalissa, Natalie's guardian, gave a hearty laugh as she embraced Dumbledore. "Albus, you always were a terrible liar. But, yes, it has been too long."

Natalie, who had regained her composure, was very embarrassed at becoming so flustered; usually, she never acted so foolishly in the presence of other people. While the two greeted one another, she looked around the office. The room emanated a very serene, majestic air. Portraits of what appeared to be former headmasters and headmistresses that lined the room on both walls, an enormously polished desk mounted by a lustrous silver inkpot and the Headmaster's extremely high backed chair contributed to this sense of tradition and power. To Natalie's discomfort, all of the heads' eyes were on her. Some looked at her kindly, others scrutinized her suspiciously and a few just stared at her in blank confusion. Trying to ignore the portraits, Natalie turned her attention to other parts of the office. She noticed pleasantly that Dumbledore's unusual additions to the rooms had given it more of a human feeling. His various instruments, some like the Pensieve that she recognized and other completely bizarre looking ones, as well as the messy disarray of books and papers on his desk were all signs of a brilliant man yet one who had his own imperfections and flaws. The office in short perfectly matched the personality of her childhood hero.

"So how have things been, Kalissa?" asked Dumbledore as he conjured another chair and guided her to it.

"Oh just as usual, Albus. You know, all these years, trying to pass on some of my knowledge to the younger generation. I'm getting along but of course times are getting difficult for all of us now ," responded Kalissa cheerfully.

Natalie felt the urge to roll her eyes after her guardian's remark about passing on knowledge to the next generation. Obviously, the teacher in her would never fade. Kalissa, who was not a blood relative of Natalie, had truly not decayed with age. Her black hair ran gracefully down her back, her face retained its round and polished look and her movements were still quick and calculated. As the two caught up on the new developments in their lives, Natalie turned her focus to Dumbledore. She saw the unmistakable long, white mane of hair and those famous twinkling blue eyes. He sat and conversed in a very relaxed manner, characteristic of a man who is untroubled and at ease with the turbulent world around him. But as Natalie looked at his face, she realized this was definitely not the case. His face was much more withered, wrinkled and creased than the dynamic and bright face she had seen in countless pictures. The lines were more ingrained and the edges more jagged and bony. She suspected something more than age had caused these changes. Heavy sacs under his eyes and the scrunched marks on his forehead confirmed to her that even he was not immune to the worries and fears of Voldemort's return. As he clapped his hands in hilarity to one of Kalissa's stories, both Natalie and her aunt gasped. His raised right hand, which had been previously immersed in his pocket, was completely mutilated.

"Oh my, Albus. What in Merlin's name have you done to yourself" asked a mortified Kalissa.

"Just an injury I picked up from one of my recent ventures. A spell miscalculated and my hand rather suffered. Do not worry. It looks much worse than it feels," answered Dumbledore indifferently as he returned his hand to his pocket. His tone seemed a bit too forced. Both Natalie and Kalissa remained rather unconvinced. It was clearly something he was not going to reveal too much about.

But Kalissa, being her typical curious and relentless self, pressed. "Honestly, Albus. You have to take care better of yourself. You are getting older and we both know magic does not recognize age. That really does not look like a backfired spell."

Before, Dumbledore could respond or steer the conversation in another direction, the door to the office creaked open. The two visitors jerked their heads to see a tall, elderly woman with long, dark hair tied in an elegant and a stern, reproachful face enter the office. Natalie recognized her as Minerva McGonagall, a very close friend of Kalissa and a Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. She and Kalissa had been in the same year at Hogwarts and kept in touch ever since. Natalie herself had met Professor McGonagall many times during her childhood when she came to visit Kalissa. At first impression, Natalie knew she seemed strict and staunch but underlying her stern scowls and stiffness, a gentle and tender kindness existed. Minerva gave both of them small smiles; they had already met in the entrance hall. She then stared expectantly at Dumbledore, clearing her throat slightly.

"Oh, thank you Minerva. I do tend to diverge a bit too often. We've been chit-chatting so much that I forgot the entire purpose of this meeting. " He turned his head to Natalie who tried her best to meet his gentle gaze. "Now my dear, you haven't said a word since you stepped into this office. You certainly do have an interesting past. There is a lot to discuss. Minerva, do come make yourself comfortable." Another chair appeared by Natalie and her aunt which Minerva sat in stiffly.

Natalie's stomach gave a lurch. They were going to talk about her past. Merely the word "past" evoked painful and bitter feelings. Ever since she first found about the identity of her mother when she was four, she had felt confined to living under the shadow of the terrible woman whose womb she had sprung from. She had never fitted into the magical world nor amounted to anything more than a very talented but friendless witch. The fact that her mother was one of the most hated people in the wizarding world had always made her feel alienated and in her mind, created a boundary between her and the rest of the magical community. Beyond this humiliation tainted with sadness and loneliness, a deep fear of becoming just like her raving lunatic of a mother existed. She knew she was completely different but a nagging voice in her head said "You share the same blood."There was always the terrifying possibility of becoming like the woman who had tortured people for fun, destroyed so many families and attempted to kill her only daughter. As she contemplated this last thought, Natalie gripped the sides of her chair and closed her eyes.

Dumbledore, who had been eying Natalie carefully, spoke with for the first time, a serious note in his voice, "Miss Malkae, there is nothing to be ashamed of. From what I've heard, you're an extremely intelligent and open minded girl, far from your mother. She was corrupted by prejudice and hatred, things that I've been told you do not possess."

Natalie opened her eyes and smiled weakly at Dumbledore. Kalissa put her hand on Natalie's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

Dumbledore, still gazing intently at Natalie, said, " So let's get to the task at hand. Natalie, you are aware that we are currently in a very dangerous situation. Lord Voldemort is quickly regaining the same power he had 16 years ago. The wizarding world is sadly again becoming filled with fear and disunity. More importantly for you and Kalissa, he is beginning to target those people who he considers the most dangerous. Amelia Bones was the first to go and I fear Kalissa will be next on his list. Where she is currently living and working is obviously not a safe place for either of you. For the time being and until things subside slightly, she will be living under the Order's protection. She will also be working with us to find out more about Lord Voldemort and what else he intends to do. You will be, I am glad to say, be staying at Hogwarts while Kalissa is in hiding. So I suggest you get used to your new temporary home."

Natalie, who had been informed about these recent events by Kalissa, was not surprised. She knew a very difficult and precarious path lay ahead for her and Kalissa. However, the steadiness and calm certainty of Dumbledore's voice raised her spirits considerably. But Dumbledore had not addressed something which had been biting at her insides since he had mentioned her past. If she did not ask, she was fully aware that this issue would be knagging her for a while. She gathered all her courage and said without a quiver in her voice, "Erm, Professor. I have just one question. Is there a chance that my mother will come after either me or Kalissa?"

Dumbledore considered the question for a moment and answered slowly, " I really do not think that Bellatrix will have any real intention of attacking you. She does believe you to be dead and does not know of the connection you share with her. But Kalissa, that's an entire different animal." He exchanged an amused look with Kalissa before continuing. "Let's just say that she and Bellatrix are not on very friendly terms. Bellatrix is a nasty case and to be honest, there is a real chance of her coming after Kalissa. However, I doubt Bellatrix will be able to penetrate the protections the Order has established. In any case, your aunt is an extremely powerful witch so you do not have much cause to worry."

Natalie nodded and then bowed her head. The name "Bellatrix" resonated in her head. She physically felt it bouncing around her brain, taunting her and hissing in her ears. A small part of Natalie, the child that wanted to see her mother, half hoped her mother would show at least the tiniest compassion to her. However, the blunt, excruciating reality was that she was merely another worthless and pathetic victim to that woman.

Kalissa, who had remained unusually solemn and silent during these last moments, opened her mouth to speak. "Albus, these portraits… are they trustworthy?" Many of the headmasters and headmistresses furiously glared at her. " And who else is aware of Natalie's past?"

"Oh, don't worry about them. I have them under oath to repeat nothing of what we have discussed them today. If they break that oath, they know they will not be helping themselves at all. As for the latter, only you, me and Minerva. Other members of the Order know of your hiding but none have any idea about who Natalie is."

"And what about holidays? When I will be able to see Natalie, again?" asked Kalissa, with a slight tremor. Natalie realized with a sharp pang that she and Kalissa would be separated for an indefinite time, at least until December. Since Kalissa was a teacher at Durmstrang, Natalie's former school, they had lived together for much of Natalie's life. Natalie had been vaguely conscious of this future estrangement but had not addressed its full enormity for both of them. Now she knew that she would miss Kalissa badly. She had never known life without Kalissa and did not know how she would be able to handle being so far apart.

"Ah, thank you for reminding me, Kalissa. Minerva has told me that you two are exceptionally close. I don't really see any reason why you cannot stay with one another during the holidays. Of course, some security precautions will be need to taken care of but like any other student at Hogwarts, Natalie will able to visit whenever the school is closed." Natalie was slightly relieved

Dumbledore then looked eagerly at Minerva who gazed at him momentarily in puzzlement before quickly nodding in comprehension. She positioned herself to face Natalie. With an air of formality but a voice laced in compassion, McGonagall said, "Miss Malkae, at the very least, your sixth year of education will occur here at Hogwarts. The education system from Durmstrang to here does not change though you'll find that our syllabus is slightly more diverse. At the Opening Feast, you will be sorted into your house. The four houses are as you know Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Whichever house you shall be placed in, your life at Hogwarts will revolve around that house. You will live within the dormitories of that house, eat with its members and attend classes with those in your year from the house. Until the school year begins, I have arranged for an old, unused classroom near my office to be turned into a bedroom for you. Most of the teachers at this school reside at Hogwarts during the summer. Any of them will gladly answer any questions you have or provide you with some company. The castle as you will soon find out is a beautiful place. "

Dumbledore nodded calmly at Minerva. "Thank you Minerva. As usual, you were wonderfully concise and detailed." The smallest outlines of a blush appeared on Minerva's face. He then fixed his piercing and intense gaze again on Natalie. " As for Bellatrix I do not think I need to tell you that it would be unwise for you to make your parentage known among the students here. People at Hogwarts, I am afraid, are still far too judgmental and focused on bloodlines. In terms of your safety, it would be best if your personal details remain disclosed." He paused and then added with a tinge of sarcasm, "Of course,that is unless you want to become a sort of celebrity in the school. We do have some of those, as you might have heard. "

Natalie, a bit perturbed at being thought of as an attention seeker, said defiantly, "I don't care for anybody who associates me with _her._"

Dumbledore gave a quiet chuckle. "Oh, I see she has your fire, Kalissa." Both Kalissa and Minerva looked amusedly at Natalie, whose face had gone a light pink.

Dumbledore turned his attention to the oddly shaped watch on his left hand. "Time truly does not wait for anybody. Kalissa, I think we should be going or we may late at our destination. Tardiness is something I don't think we can afford."

All of them left their seats, exited the office and walked down to the Entrance hall. As they walked, Natalie focused on taking in the sights of her new home. She did not want to even think about her ominous and lonely future. But once they reached the Entrance hall, the terrible and heavy sense of dread that had been tearing at the insides of her stomach quickly climbed up to her throat. She felt her head fill with trepidation and fear, rendering her incapable of contemplating anything else. Her eyes were welling up and in embarrassment, she turned her head to face the floor.

Dumbledore, who was twiddling his thumbs, stopped walking and turned around. "I will wait outside for you Kalissa. Minerva will show Natalie around the castle and guide her to her room." Minerva nodded, silently moving off to a corner of the Entrance hall.

Kalissa, who had been alongside Natalie and whose eyes were also very red, put her hands around Natalie's slumped body. She lifted Natalie's chin so both their heads were level. In a firm, motherly voice, she stated, "Natalie, there is no need to worry. We'll be able to see each other in December and March. I'll be safe. I've done this before and that was without Albus' protection. Now, none of them will even come close to me." She then looked around at the castle before returning her attention to Natalie. "You'll be perfectly fine at Hogwarts. The castle is wonderful, the school is much better than Durmstrang and after a few days, you'll forget about me. I know you'll do extremely well." Kalissa then embraced Natalie. Natalie clung to her as tightly as she ever had and could not stop the tears from rapidly streaming down her face. She felt Kalissa gripping her body tightly, savouring and appreciating the warmth of the connection. After what seemed an eternity, Kalissa finally released Natalie, gave her one last smile and briskly left the castle.


	2. The Other Person from Spinner

Chapter Two- The Other Person from Spinner's End

"I will."

The words rung throughout the house. The vow had been taken and no point of return existed for its speaker. The speaker, a pale, somber man with greasy black hair, lifted himself from the kneeling position he had taken. The other two women in the house, one an anxious and relieved woman with long, blonde hair and the other a black haired, heavy eye lidded who looked completely shocked, stood up.

The greasy haired, black man impassively nodded towards the blonde woman. "I hope your worries have eased to some extent, Narcissa. This is the best I can do for Draco." Then with a nasty sneer, he turned to face the black, haired woman. "I assume that your doubts about me are quelled _now_, Bellatrix. "

Narcissa hurriedly gripped the man's hands and said in a very shaky voice, "Thank you so much, Severus. I knew you were the only one I could trust to help Draco."

Severus acknowledged the thanks with a slight nod of his head. He then stated matter of factly, "I think it would be best for both of you leave now. Wormtail does have a brain as small as it is. An extended stay by both of you would arouse unnecessary suspicion and he does have a rodentlike habit of poking his nose in unwarranted places." He guided Narcissa to the door and motioned for Bellatrix to exit as well.

Bellatrix, still standing and staring at Severus with a mixture of astonishment and suspicion, said forcefully, "Snape, I'll admit I am very surprised. It would have been best for my sister to let Draco carry out the task on his own but your willingness is commendable. But don't let your ego think that I now trust you as the Dark Lord does." She strode swiftly towards the door, not bothering to look at Snape. Before she stepped across the doorstep, she paused and slowly rotated her body around. This time, her face was alight with eagerness, her mouth twisted into a maniacal smile, her eyes dark and hungry.

"Snape, being one of the Dark Lord's most favoured servants, I trust that he shares plans, information with you that unfortunately, with the debacle at the Ministry, I have not been privy to. What, even I was not aware of the fate he had set in store for Amelia Bones. I do wonder whoever next will be on his list." Her voice had a distinct air of challenge to it.

Snape raised his eyebrows and frowned slightly. "Bellatrix, I am afraid I do not understand what you are rambling about this time."

Bellatrix snorted derisively. "Oh come on Snape. We all know you can't play the innocent and naïve bystander. Even Dumbledore does not fall for that." With unnatural sarcasm, she then added, "But for your seemingly oblivious mind, I will make my concerns clear. What I want to know regards both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore's plans for Kalissa Malkae." On the last two words, she hit a contemptuous and greedy note.

Snape straightened his robes and then addressed Bellatrix. "Bellatrix, I know as much about Kalissa Malkae as you do. From what I last heard, she was a teacher at Durmstrang. I personally do not know how Durmstrang accepted such vermin. But she fears the power of the Dark Lord and his supporters. Being her usual cowardly self, she has left Britain and I do not think she will come back."

"Don't play your games with me, Snape. She was one of Dumbledore's closest allies. She is too important for your white haired friend to forget." In a hushed voice, she stated, "And there are things she knows about the Dark Lord, things that he would want to be erased."

Narcissa let out a tiny gasp. She was watching the exchange between the two of them both curiously and frightfully. Snape's face remained unfazed. His eyes had not broken contact with Bellatrix. "Bellatrix, let me repeat myself. Like you, the situation of Kalissa Malkae is not something that has reached my ears. Now, may you please leave. You are becoming rather annoying."

Bellatrix studied Snape closely before she gave a triumphant shriek. "You know something, Snape. Why else would you say situation? The Dark Lord does have something planned for her. Well, I intend to join in on the fun." Her eyes narrowed while her face briefly took on this tense, anxious look. "And what about this daughter I hear Malkae has? Malkae was not married, was she?"

"I am sure you remember Malkae's fondness for strangers. I believe this girl is a product of one of her wild nights at the Hog's Head."

"How old is the girl?"

Snape caught the fleeting but worried glance that crossed Bellatrix' features. Comprehension dawned on his face and his nasty sneer returned. "Bellatrix, you aren't labouring under any delusions regarding erm, let's say the identity of this girl. Did you not exterminate any remnants of the little affair you had with that Muggle? The Dark Lord would certainly not be pleased to find out-"

"How dare you accuse me, you filthy little traitor! Of course, I did away with David Claggerton and his child. Unlike you, I do what I say will do. " Her fists were clenched tightly, her eyes narrowed and her entire body convulsing in anger.

"Flattering that you remember his name." Snape's sarcasm could almost be viewed as comical but in the tense context, the mocking tone had a daring and reckless abandon to it.

Bellatrix let out a crazed and shocked cry. She turned her body fully around and slowly prowled towards Snape until their bodies were almost touching and their faces were barely apart. Her body had taken on a leaning, arched shape like an animal preparing for a nasty fight. Snape remained erect and stiff. His sneer had slightly diminished and he was now watching Bellatrix warily

"Just like you remember Lily Evans. Isn't that right, dear _Sev?_," hissed Bellatrix venomously, articulating on each syllable with pure disgust and hatred. "She lived in this filthy area, didn't she? She was always a pathetic and worthless Mudblood. Well, vermin like that deserve the fate she –"

Before Bellatrix could complete the sentence, Snape had pulled out his wand and raised it to Bellatrix's throat. His face was white with fury, his eyes dilated in rage and his body visibly shaking. Bellatrix, equally ready to the challenge, had her wand out pointed directly at Snape's chest. She looked at Snape with an unpleasant combination of excitement and triumph.

Narcissa, who had momentarily been in shock, hurried towards the pair and gripped Bellatrix's arm. "Bella, come on. Don't start a fight. Severus is telling the truth about Malkae. Hasn't he proved himself trustworthy? The Dark Lord would not want his two most devoted servants at odds with another, " begged Narcissa, desperately pulling at Bellatrix's arm.

Bellatrix, not taking her eyes off Snape, gradually withdrew her wand and allowed her sister to lead her to the door. Snape, who had stopped shaking and regained his calm, solemn appearance, mirrored Bellatrix's withdrawal of arms.

As the two sisters left the house, Bellatrix, in a whisper that carried across to Snape, hissed, "See Cissy, I was always right. You can never trust anyone who loves a Mudblood."

On the last word, Snape waved his wand and the door slammed shut violently. With another flick of the wand, he reinforced the silencing charm cast on the door leading up to the stairs. He crossed the living room in a rushed, forced manner until he reached his armchair where he sat down. Checking around the room again for any signs of life, he placed his head in his hands and gave a burdensome, heavy shudder.


	3. An Interesting Proposition

Chapter 3- An Interesting Proposition

Natalie loved Hogwarts. She had only been living in the castle for two weeks but she thought it was absolutely the most wonderful place in the world. Her former school, Durmstrang, had been exquisite and grand but it lacked the homely and mystical feel Hogwarts had. At Durmstrang, everything was neatly organized and ordered This theme was exemplified in the school's symmetrical and tidy outward structure, its systematical arrangement of rooms and classrooms, its very intelligent and refined teachers and even the sophisticated and elegant portraits lining the school's walls. Natalie admired the beauty Durmstrang had to offer but she always associated a sense of emptiness with the school. It was too perfect, lacking a human air. The school was devoid of the familiarity and homeliness she craved. Friendships never extended past old family acquaintances or exclusive cliques.

Contrary to outside opinion, the school was very open and welcoming to Muggleborns and half bloods, having learned the dangers of such discrimination following Grindelwald's war. The protectionist, conservative and outdated values held by many ancient pure blood families carried little influence in Durmstrang.

However, what annoyed Natalie the most about her former school was its distinctively snobbish and hypocritical feel. In order to be admitted to the school, Durmstrang required students to pass a very difficult test assessing their magical ability, claiming that they harnessed and developed the best magical talent in the wizarding community. The class sizes were very small, resulting in many magical individuals, who lived in Bulgaria, being unable to attend the school. Judging by these strict guidelines and the school's well maintained appearance, one would never assume that some of magic's darkest and most evil figures had been pruned and refined here. As a result, Natalie frequently was struck with the impression that the school was overly conscious of itself, refusing to acknowledge its grim past and visible flaws while continuing to exist with an infuriatingly condescending air.

Hogwarts was a completely different story. Whether it was the castle's irregular Gothic appearance, its randomly changing assortment of staircases, corridors and pathways or its brash and loud portraits, the school in its own imperfect way was very welcoming. With her own unique past, Natalie felt very comfortable in living in such a dynamic and eccentric environment. She especially liked the teachers ; most of whom stayed at Hogwarts during the summer. They all invited her to their offices, showed her their books and urged her to take their courses. Such openness would be regarded as a sign of weakness at Durmstrang but at Hogwarts, it seemed to merge in with the school's lighthearted mood. Whereas Durmstrang represented a wealthy, aristocratic but cold and distant family, Hogwarts resembled the tightly knit, carefree and accommodating, albeit slightly dysfunctional, family everyone wanted to join.

Most of all, Natalie loved Albus Dumbledore. In the past two weeks, she had numerous talks with him either in his office, during mealtimes or in the corridors. His wittiness, intelligence and kindness were amazing but Natalie was truly fascinated by the fatherly presence he cast. He was neither intimidating nor overbearing but the unmistakable aura of certainty and confidence he emananated seemed to silently state his proclamation that he would not let the magical world slip out of his control. During their sometimes hour length discussions, they would talk about everything ranging from the current dire state of the wizarding community to Dumbledore's favorite Muggle sweets. With Dumbledore's piercing, intent blue eyes gazed upon her, she felt comfortably exposed. She was aware he would be able to sense and uncover her insecurities, fears and desires but she had an unusually numbing trust in Dumbledore. For anybody else, such trust would be considered romantically irrational but for Dumbledore, it seemed oddly perfect.

On one of these bright, sunny afternoons in his office, Dumbledore looked at her through his spectacles with keen, twinkling eyes. Natalie sensed he was excited to talk to her about something.

"Natalie, tonight, I have a couple of errands to run. Seeing as you haven't been out of the grounds in the two weeks you've been here, I think it would be appropriate that you accompany me. Your safety won't be too much of a concern given that these errands are merely domestic and you of course will have me as your companion."

"What are these errands?" Natalie asked eagerly. Despite how she much loved the castle, it would be refreshing and exciting to see other parts of the British magical community.

"Oh, just to pick up a student and hopefully persuade an old acquaintance to come teach at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore casually.

"Which student?" questioned Natalie. She wondered why any student would need to be escorted by the Headmaster.

"Harry Potter. I'm surprised we have not talked about him. But yes, I intend to escort Harry from his aunt's home to his friend's house where he will spend the rest of his summer. "

Natalie clicked her tongue in annoyance. Despite all his achievements and supposed bravery, Harry Potter was not a person Natalie admired. In her view, he was a self centered idiot. "Ah, so you're really going to serve the famous and absolutely brilliant Harry Potter," said Natalie, not bothering to disguise the sarcasm and contempt in her voice.

A slight frown appeared on Dumbledore's face. "I gather you are not a member of the Harry Potter fan club. I trust you have not based your interpretation of him on the Daily Prophets' accounts because that newspaper is suffice to say, completely wrong."

"Of course not! I know fully well that the Daily Prophet is merely a puppet of the corrupt Ministry. Last year, he was a delinquent to them and now he's the _Chosen One_. What a bunch of waffle, if you ask me," scoffed Natalie.

Dumbledore gazed at her with a determined glint in his eyes. "He is one of the most severely misunderstood people I have encountered. If you come with me, you'll find that he is in fact quite a shy and engaging young man."

Natalie scowled. "Professor McGonagall told me all about him. From what I have heard, every year he has been at Hogwarts, he has gotten himself caught up in some outrageously dangerous adventure that attracts the eyes of the entire wizarding world. Seems to me that he is just an attention seeking prat who escapes death by pure luck," argued Natalie vehemently. She was starting to get irritated with Dumbledore for defending Potter. If Dumbledore did have a weakness, it was his willingness to see the good in people despite their very recognizable faults.

"You are not the first to say that about Harry nor will you be the last. I would say that the boy has a very dark past and consequently, trouble tends to find him. He is guilty of only being too curious in the mysteries of his own life, hardly a crime in my opinion. This school year, you'll come to realize he is our truly best hope for lifting the magical world out of Voldemort's stranglehold."

The firmness and matter of fact tone in Dumbledore's voice rendered Natalie silent for a moment. She considered his statement but then countered that Potter was far too young and immature to face Voldemort. Anyway, it would be a long time before he attained enough experience with magic to face Voldemort. Before she could make her point known to Dumbledore, he raised his hand to hush her.

" I think we've had enough of this discussion. Now Natalie, are you coming tonight with me or not?"

Natalie considered his proposal. If she did agree to go with Dumbledore, then she would at the very least travel to somewhere outside of Hogwarts. She would be able to meet whatever new professor Dumbledore had chosen and she thought in disdain, she would get her first look at Harry Potter. What was so special about him anyway and why did Dumbledore seem to think he was some child prodigy?

She took a deep breath and said evenly, "Yes, I'll come."

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled and his face beamed in pleasure. "Very well, then. I have to say it will nice to have some company. These tasks can get quite tedious. We'll be leaving at six'o clock. Bring a jacket. "

Natalie nodded and with that acknowledgement, she left the office, not knowing what to expect.


	4. Meeting Harry

A/N: Ok, I probably should have done this in Chapter One but as you probably surmised, this story will be set during Half Blood Prince. There are several plot changes that I will make to HBP but the story will focus on the relationship between Harry and my character, Natalie Malkae. I'm trying to keep all of the canon characters within character. Ron and Hermione will have major roles and Ginny, Kalissa, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape, Bellatrix and Tom Riddle will also have significant roles. I have written 27 Chapters with 175 000+ words and I will updating at a relatively fast speed. But I intend to use the reviews to gauge whether and how I should change/edit future chapters. So please review because it is my first fanfiction and I need all the feedback I can get.

Chapter Four- Meeting Harry

Natalie stood alongside Dumbledore in front of number four Privet Drive The house and the entire street, she noted, were rather plain and stagnant. Each home on the street was identical. They all had tidy boxlike shapes, all painted in a bland, parched white. All the plants and trees stood erect and rigid, side by side in straight horizontal lines in each well tended garden. It seemed as if any overhanging tree or slightly crooked stem had been quickly and ruthlessly cut off and eradicated. Variety and exoticness were clearly alien concepts. Even the beautiful sunset occurring behind her and Dumbledore appeared to be dulled by the homogeneous arrangement she stood among. The neighbourhood was simply too normal to hold one of the most storied wizards of all time.

Dumbledore peered at her over his glasses. "Privet Drive is not one of the most engaging places you'll see. I forgot to tell you that Harry's aunt and uncle are not exactly very fond of magic and you may find them to be rather unreceptive. It would be tempting to erm let's say scare them but I advise you to hold your words and wand until we depart. Now that's settled, shall we go in?"

Natalie nodded silently. She was surprised that Potter's family did not embrace the idea of magic but it was not unusual for Muggle parents or guardians to be hesitant about family members being part of a completely different world. She followed Dumbledore as he walked to the door and rung the doorbell. Once the door opened, she realized fully why Dumbledore had warned her.

A pudgy man with a short, round neck opened the door. As soon as he saw Dumbledore, the man's eyes narrowed in suspicion. His mouth twitched unpleasantly and he looked anxiously around the street. He seemed to be too shocked to say anything or even just open his mouth.

"Ah, it's been a long time since I have been here. Your flowers I see are blossoming very nicely, " said Dumbledore conversationally. Natalie was amazed by how he could be at ease in such a tense moment.

A woman with a haggard, bony figure and a horsey face joined the man. Natalie took this to be his wife. She too stared at them in alarm and glanced worriedly around to see if any of her neighbours had noticed these strange visitors. Natalie's first impression was that these people were not merely hesitant about magic but that they absolutely hated the entire concept.

"Very nice to meet you, Petunia. We've kept in contact before."

The woman, who Natalie presumed was Petunia, looked appalled that this man knew her name and recognized her.

When neither answered, Dumbledore continued in his calm, pleasant manner. " Judging by your looks of stunned disbelief, I gather that Harry has not informed you of my visit. This is Natalie, another student at Hogwarts, who has chosen to accompany me. Seeing as neither of you have welcomed us into the comforts of your house, I shall introduce ourselves in." He stepped across the threshold. Natalie followed with a smug look on her face. The man, likely Potter's uncle, looked like he wanted to object to the presence of either Natalie and Dumbledore in his house but obviously had sensed Dumbledore was not someone to cross.

"Ah, Harry. Good evening to you, my boy. This is Natalie, a new student at Hogwarts who has come along to get a breath of fresh air."

Natalie rapidly turned around to see the boy standing at the foot of the stairs. Once she saw him, she realized that this was definitely not the brash and confident Harry Potter she had envisioned. The messy hair, green eyes and lighting bolt scar on his head were all attributes recognizable from the many pictures she had seen. But Potter had the distinctive air of a boy not well taken care of. He was quite skinny and gaunt for a teenager. His clothes were extremely baggy, drooping over his body. The slumped shoulders, slightly bowed head, swollen eyes and hunched stance created an image of somebody who bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. He nodded in acknowledgement at Natalie, giving her a weak smile. Natalie, still stunned by this exhausted and burdened boy, could only stare at him.

"That must be your son, Dudley. Do come out and join us." said Dumbledore cheerfully, waving to a blonde head peering at them from behind the kitchen door. As he entered the living room, Natalie noticed with disgust that he was the spoiled brat she had expected Potter to be. He was overly large and chubby and like his parents, gaped at Dumbledore with a mixture of shock and fear.

"Aren't we leaving now?" asked Potter anxiously.

"Not yet, Harry. I first would like to clear up some small but significant details with your aunt and uncle."

Potter gasped and the Durselys let out a shriek. They all had noticed Dumbledore's damaged hand. "Sir, your hand, its destroyed."

"Yes, I know, Harry. That's another story for another day. It feels much better than it looks," said Dumbledore in a business-like manner.

She and Dumbledore took their seats on the couch without invitation. As Dumbledore talked with Potter's stricken aunt and uncle, Natalie took to watching Harry Potter. She supposed that his aunt and uncle did not treat him very well. The entire house had the looks of a prison. His summers would likely feel like days of confinement and restriction. She began to feel herself soften almost against her will for Potter. She herself had led a privileged existence, being tended to and loved by Kalissa.

But there was a certain shyness and innocence about Potter, unexpected in a boy who had triumphantly faced the darkest wizard ever multiple times. He looked amused at the frightened state of his aunt and uncle but also slightly nervous that they might do something to irritate Dumbledore. It was this tenderness that for some reason, fascinated Natalie immensely. She conceded that she may have been wrong about him.

"And if such an enchantment exists, then it is likely for ownership to pass onto the oldest of Sirius' living relatives which would mean his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange," commented Dumbledore, bringing Natalie out of her musings.

Natalie felt a surge of fear pound against her chest. Her knees weakened slightly but she forced herself to remain composed. Dumbledore's eyes had briefly flicked towards her but she knew he did not need to worry about her. She tried her best to suppress the trepidation by concentrating on the actual meaning of Dumbledore's statement rather than the shock it held for her. So, Sirius Black was her mother's cousin and he had left a house behind: the former headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. For practical and strategic incentives, Dumbledore likely wanted Potter to inherit the home as Black's godson instead of her maniacal mother.

Dumbledore called for Black's house-elf. The house elf appeared, a pitiful and feeble creature. It seemed to loathe Potter vehemently. However,when Potter requested for it to keep quiet, it did so rather grudgingly, deeming that Potter was the new master of the house.

After Dumbledore had chastised the Dursleys for their poor treatment of H arry, frightening them much to Natalie's pleasure, she, Dumbledore and Potter set off to complete Dumbledore's second task for the evening. She and Potter gripped Dumbledore's sides as they apparated alongside him to his desired destination.

Once they appeared on an unfamiliar, dimly lit street, Dumbledore swiftly walked, searching the street with Natalie and Potter behind

Potter extended his hand toward her. "Nice to meet you. Sorry about my relatives. They aren't exactly the nicest people you'll meet," said Potter pleasantly.

Natalie reached out to meet his hand. Her dislike for him was starting to diminish. "Erm, that's fine. Are they always like that? Anyway, how they are related to you?"

"Erm, that woman, Aunt Petunia, is my mom's older sister. So they're pretty close in the family line but that does not stop them from being such gits," replied Potter with a tinge of bitterness.

"Oh really, so shouldn't your aunt be used to magic then especially if your mom was a witch?"

He looked slightly taken aback at her directness. "Er, I don't really know why. I guess my aunt was always jealous of my mom and that's why she sort of hates magic."

Judging by the tremor in his voice, Natalie gathered this was a topic he did not feel comfortable talking about. She was surprisingly very curious about Potter, partly because he did not meet her expectations at all. She became embarrassingly aware that in her curiosity, she might come off as rude or even worse, an obsessive fan.

Potter turned his head toward her, his eyes now focused intently on her. "So where are you from? You're a new student, right? Which year are you going into?"

Natalie looked at Dumbledore to see if he was going to answer those questions but he merely twiddled his thumbs. Obviously, he was indirectly telling her that she should choose how much of her past she wanted to disclose to Potter.

"Erm, I'm actually from Durmstrang. My mother and I have decided for me to pursue my sixth year of education at Hogwarts. It's er more convenient for my mother if I go to school in Britain and Durmstrang is getting a bit too much of the wrong crowd, especially with his return."

"Oh, you'll be in the same year as me." He gave her a warm smile which reassured Natalie slightly. "But you said you're from Durmstrang?" asked Potter apprehensively. He glanced curiously at Dumbledore, trying to catch the old man's eye.

Much of Natalie's resentment for Potter that had dissipated quickly reappeared. "So, now, just because I said I'm from Durmstrang, I'm some sort of alien. You know, not everyone who attends that school is a pureblood lover and supporter of Voldemort. It would interest you to know that I do not support that lunatic at all nor do I think the wizarding world should be only pure blood. I'm in fact like you, a half blood," snapped Natalie.

Potter looked completely bewildered. "Listen, I wasn't thinking that. I don't believe in that stuff. I know from experience, people are usually different than what they're made out to be," he stammered. He then stared at her with a look of astonishment and admiration. "You said Voldemort's name. Not many people can do that. "

Natalie shrugged but she was slightly pleased. "My mother says his name so I thought it was harmless. What's the point of trying to fight him when you can't even speak his name without flinching? "

Potter grinned. "Yeah, that's right. Hey, how come you don't have such a heavy accent if you come from Durmstrang?"

Natalie felt the urge to roll her eyes. So many people at both her old school and the teachers at her Hogwarts had posed the question. "My mother's from Britain so she has an English accent and as a child, I just copied her voice. Also, during the summers, we go to England to visit my mum's family so I've kind of picked up an accent that's a mixture of both English and Bulgarian."

Dumbledore interrupted their exchange, pointing to a spot ahead. "Here's the house. It looks to be in quite a mess," said Dumbledore grimly

His wand lit upon a tidy, stone house ahead with a well tended garden. But above the house, Natalie saw a skull with a serpent tongue protruding from it. It was the Dark Mark. Her body went rigid with shock. She saw Potter clench his fists and reach inside his pocket. Surely, Dumbledore would not bring them and especially Potter to a place targeted by Death Eaters. She noticed the mark was very blurry at the edges and the skull was disproportional in size compared to the tongue. It seemed to be a crude imitation rather than the actual sign.

They walked into the house. She gasped. The place was a complete mess. Clothing, books and papers were strewn across the floor, desks and chairs were overturned and blood covered severely cracked and broken walls. Dumbledore led them into the living room which like the rest of the house looked badly ransacked. In the middle of the room, an extravagant, cushion armchair stood.

Dumbledore gave a hearty laugh. "Oh come out, Horace! You really overdid yourself this time," he bellowed at the room. Both Natalie and Potter stared at him in alarm. He casually flicked his wand at the armchair. The cushion came apart and a plump, sweaty faced man with an enormous walrus moustache fell onto the floor. He wore a maroon vested jacket over a pair of lilac silk pajamas. Natalie's initial thought that he was a very colorful balloon. He quickly picked himself and started rubbing his stomach, unabashed for a man who had just been discovered hiding in an armchair. His aggrieved and watery eyes glared at Dumbledore in irritation.

"Horace, I have to admit that was rather crudely orchestrated. The Dark Mark should have been directly over the house and your home looked a bit too messy, "commented Dumbledore amusedly. 

"Well, you didn't give me much time, Albus. It was quite a good rouse with only two seconds to think, "muttered the other darkly.

"Would you like my assistance in clearing this mess?" asked Dumbledore politely.

"I should very think so since you're the reason it's such a mess," answered the man grumpily.

Both men took out their wands and waved them in identical sweeping motions at the house. The books, papers and clothing all zoomed back to their original positions. The walls mended themselves, erasing the cracks and the blood splattered across each wall disappeared.

Once the house had returned to its clean state, Slughorn finally looked at Natalie and Potter. He immediately took in Potter, his eyes drifting to Potter's scar. Potter shifted nervously under the man's gaze.

"Oho! Look who we have here. Dumbledore, you haven't introduced me to your two companions."

Dumbledore stepped forward to make the introduction. "This is of course Harry Potter and that is Natalie Malkae, Kalissa's daughter. Natalie and Harry, this is Horace Slughorn, one of my former colleagues at Hogwarts."

Slughorn stared gleefully and almost hungrily at Potter. "It is a pleasure to meet you m'boy. It has been far too long. Oh my, you do have your mother's eyes. I taught your mother, if it interests you. She was one of my best students. "

He then smiled at Natalie, also with that hungry glint in his eye. "And you, my girl. Your mother was a brilliant lady. Quite an extraordinary class she came from as well. How is she now?"

"She's doing fine, " answered Natalie evenly, not trying to reveal anything about Kalissa. She and Potter exchanged astonished glances. She did not know what to think of this man; he seemed to regard the two as trophies.

Dumbledore tapped his fingers on the armchair. "Horace, as nice as it is catching up, the purpose of this visit was to request for you to take a teaching post at Hogwarts. We would very much welcome your presence again at the school. And of course at Hogwarts, one of the main benefits is that you would receive the highest quality security and protection." He raised his eyebrows at Slughorn. "You would not need to be running among Muggle houses to escape the Death Eaters."

"What makes you think that I'm running from the Death Eaters, Dumbledore? I haven't done anything to upset them," stated Slughorn sharply.

"Horace, a few moments ago, you were hiding in a stuffed armchair in what I presume is a vacant Muggle house with an artificial Dark Mark conjured above your house. What do you expect me to believe?"

Slughorn took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his profusely sweating face. "Oh, ok, Dumbledore. I am a bit on the paranoid side but in these dark times, it should not be unexpected. However, I shall decline your offer, as tempting it is. I'm planning to travel around and explore the world."

Potter and Natalie smirked at one another. Slughorn was clearly a terrible liar. Merely his constant fidgeting and twitching showed that he was on no holiday.

"Very well then Horace. I'm just going to go to the bathroom. I've been nursing a full bladder for a long time, " said Dumbledore casually, his eyes sparkling. He left the room, leaving Potter and Natalie alone with Slughorn.

Potter glanced confusedly at Natalie. She too did not have any idea why Dumbledore would come to seek out Slughorn only to be easily turned away by one refusal.

Potter cleared his throat uneasily. "Erm, sir, so how long did you teach at Hogwarts?" he asked awkwardly.

Slughorn looked positively delighted at the fact that Potter had shown some interest in him. "Much longer than you can imagine, my boy. I taught Natalie's mother, Kalissa, almost sixty years ago. She and Minerva McGonagall were my best students. But I have to say your mother, a Muggleborn which makes her even more remarkable, was an extremely talented witch."

"One of my best friends is Muggleborn and she's the best witch in our year," said Potter defensively.

"Oh no, you must not think me to be like that. Did I just not say that your mother was my favourite student? There was also Dirk Cromwell, another Muggleborn in her year. He now heads the Department of Magical Artefacts. Comes by occasionally to visit," reflected Slughorn affectionately.

He pointed at a row of glittery photographs on the dresser. "In fact, if it interests you, those are my former students. Many still keep in contact with me. You'll notice Barnabas Cuffe, the editor of the _Daily Prophet_, he's always interested to hear my take in on the latest news. Then there's Ambrosios Flame from Honeydukes who sends me a hamper of sweets each Christmas. Of course, at the back, Gwenog Jones of the Holyhead Harpies. I'm on first name terms with the name and can get free tickets anytime I want," he said, bouncing up and down on his feet.

"Which house did you belong to?" questioned Natalie. She wanted to change the topic of conversation because Slughorn was starting to irritate her with these vaunts about all his connections.

"Slytherin. Was Head of the House for over fifty years," stated Slughorn briskly.

Natalie let out a disgusted snort. "So you've basically been head of the house that contains the worst wizards and witches for the past half century," she found herself blurting out. As she soon as she made the comment, she flushed in embarrassment. She did not want to make her aversion for Dark Magic so blatantly obvious.

Slughorn gasped. Potter grinned at Natalie from behind Slughorn's back. "Oh my, you really are a fiery girl. Obviously, Kalissa has left her mark on you. But you should know that not all Slytherins back You know who and we have done some good in the world," he stated, looking slightly unnerved.

Natalie did not believe a single word he said but she just nodded in response. She did not want to start a fight with somebody who might be a future teacher at Hogwarts.

"Professor Slughorn, why don't you want to come to Hogwarts? I reckon it's the safest place right now. Isn't Dumbledore the only one Voldemort ever feared? " said Potter with feigned politeness. Natalie could tell he wanted to keep the conversation away from dangerous waters.

"Well, I suppose you're right on that point. He-Who- Must- Not-Be-Named never sought a fight with Dumbledore. And I really haven't angered the Death Eaters…so the Dark Lord can't count me as an enemy…. But I can't pretend that what happened to Amelia Bones has not frightened me….If she with all her connections can be found, then who knows?" muttered Slughorn worriedly.

Dumbledore re-entered the room, startling Slughorn. Dumbledore smiled expectantly at the unsettled man.

"Horace, last one time, do you want to return to Hogwarts?"

"No, Dumbledore. As I said before, I'm too old for teaching and I am not in any danger from the Dark Lord. Did you really think that my answer would change over the last ten minutes?" responded Slughorn. The anxious undertone in his voice betrayed the brisk firmness he was trying to maintain.

"Very well, then. I did not think that either. I do wish you the very best in your traveling. Come along Natalie and Harry. We shall leave you to your indulgences, Horace."

Both Natalie and Harry were not at all reluctant to stay any longer. As they reached the door, Slughorn called out frantically.

"All right, all right Albus. I'll come back. Is that alright? Does it satisfy your wishes? But don't think you persuaded me."

Dumbledore swiveled his head to face Slughorn, his eyes twinkling amusedly . "Thank you, Horace. We will delighted to have you back at Hogwarts. I'll see you in September."

While they returned along the street to the same spot they had apparated onto, Dumbledore asked them curiously, "What did you two do to change his mind?"

"Don't know. We just talked with him and he got more nervous and nervous," said Potter.

"Horace always struggled with his nerves, especially with two such promising students in his presence, as you two witnessed," contemplated Dumbledore.

"Why did you accept his refusal so easily and what was the entire point of the toilet break?" asked Natalie unabashedly.

"Ah you caught me there my girl. In fact, I had expected Horace to refuse initially. I did not actually need to go to the toilet. I merely used it as an excuse to exit the room and leave him with you two. Horace erm can be persuaded very easily by students as you shall see this year."

Natalie felt slightly miffed at being used without her direct permission. But then again, it was somewhat exhilarating to be an integral part of one of Dumbledore's adventures as minor as it may have been. Another thought crossed her mind and she became eager to express herself. "Sir, what do you think of him? I personally thought him to be a very insecure and narcissistic man. He treated both of us like we were collectible items."

Potter nodded along. "Yeah, he was very odd."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at Natalie. "I believe you have called someone else selfish as well." Natalie blushed. "But you are right Natalie. When he taught at Hogwarts, he tried to attach himself to what I would call were the most notable and famous students. He formed a club for these students. I know it's very unusual. But I believe Horace valued the relationships he made with these students and he maintained these contacts throughout their lives. Their gifts and favours to him over the years have been what you would refer as a sort of drive and incentive for him."

Natalie curled her mouth into an unpleasant smile. Before she could stop herself, she turned to Potter and said scathingly, "Potter, I expect you'll be part of his club, being the Boy Who Lived and Lord Voldemort's proclaimed destroyer."

Potter frowned at her. "Why did you say that? I don't want the attention and its not like I go around, saying I want to kill him. Do you think that I actually enjoy being the person who he targets the most?"

Natalie detected the first hint of bitterness and frustration in his voice. She immediately realized she had been foolish and pretentious in her implicit statement that he was an attention-seeker. Almost subconsciously, she felt a strong urge to apologize to him. Again, incapable of preventing her emotions from controlling her actions, she said quietly, "Sorry about that. It just came out. I didn't mean what I said."

Potter looked at her with a strange expression on his face before nodding. "No worries. Please call me Harry."

Natalie thought it would be rude and unnecessary to address him as Potter so she nodded, mentally calling him Harry. The three of them had reached the spot where they would apparate to whatever other destination Dumbledore had in mind. Natalie thought she heard Dumbledore give the slightest chuckle after her apology.

Before they latched onto his sides for the apparition, he turned towards both of them with that intent, penetrating gaze. " About Horace, I should say that he likely shall target you two to be a part of his 'special' group of students. Obviously, Harry, because of your past, and Natalie, you too, because of Kalissa. She was one of his most prominent students. Treat him with caution. He is a pleasant man but one who sometimes lets his own desires and needs overpower himself. Now, shall we go? I think Harry, it is time to drop you at the Burrow."

After they had apparated and appeared behind a very odd building, Dumbledore guided them to a barn nearby the structure.

"Natalie, will you mind if I talk to Harry for a few moments? I have to go over some personal matters with him."

Natalie nodded and walked off to a distant corner of the barn. She was slightly annoyed and envious at the very close bond Dumbledore and Harry seemed to share. It was almost a father-son interaction. But she was fully aware that Dumbledore and Harry knew each other for much longer than she and Dumbledore. As they talked in low murmurs, she gazed at the house outside through the barn's windows. It certainly was very eccentric and unorthodox. The structure resembled more an unclean piece of clothing with lumps, creases and stains rather than a house. But again like Hogwarts, the house gave off quite a welcoming mood. She supposed the people inside were very nice.

Her attention turned again to Harry. Through her first interaction with him, she had come to see that he was like Dumbledore had said, a quiet boy placed in a terribly difficult situation. Her initial cynicism towards him had been replaced by sympathy and intense fascination. But her practical conscience kept countering that she should not change her entire outlook of him on the basis of a single encounter. An even more pessimistic voice darkly pointed out that he would despise her if he knew her identity. This last thought sent jolts of anger, disappointment and dread down her spine.

Dumbledore and Harry were walking towards her. She presumed their conversation had ended. Harry appeared to be a little more upbeat and optimistic while Dumbledore beamed. They left the barn and traveled towards the house.

Once they had reached the door to the kitchen of the house, Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, have a nice summer. I'll see you when you get back at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded his head at Dumbledore and then at Natalie. "Thanks, sir for picking me up. Nice meeting you, Natalie. Hope you'll be in Gryffindor."

Natalie's stomach took a small dive at the mention of her name. The reaction took her completely by surprise. She quickly reasoned it to be a nervous offshoot of the complete change in her emotional reply to Harry. She composed herself and said briskly, "Nice talking to you, too. See you at Hogwarts."

Harry knocked on the door and was greeted by an anxious, red haired woman. She smiled at Natalie and Dumbledore, gesturing for them to come in as well.

Dumbledore waved his hand at her. "Oh no, thank you Molly. I have some other things to do tonight. I'll have to enjoy your hospitality another day."

They apparated back to Hogsmeade and began walking back to the castle. Natalie glanced suspiciously at Dumbledore. "What other _things_ do you have to do?"

"Some ventures that I have to undertake. You'll eventually find out about them," replied Dumbledore casually.

Natalie rolled her eyes. Occasionally in the last two weeks, Dumbledore went away for a afternoon or evening on one of these adventures. These tasks he remained very protective about. Not even Minerva knew precisely what he did.

"What did you think of Harry, Natalie?"

Natalie sighed. She expected him to ask the question but did not know how to answer it. She would have to tell the truth and endure Dumbledore's triumphant smile. "He's nice. You were right. I'll admit I was wrong about him."

In the dark, she could make out the outlines of a smirk on his face. "But he looks extremely exhausted and burdened. He doesn't seem like the type that can defeat Voldemort."

Dumbledore paused for a moment, contemplating her statement. "Yes, the boy has lived a terrible life and he has a very dark path ahead of him. But he has lost so much to Voldemort. And as a consequence, I think he views it as obligation to avenge his parents' deaths."


	5. Getting Ready for the Sorting

Chapter 5- Getting Ready for the Sorting

Soon, the school year would start. Natalie, still moving restlessly in her room, gazing at herself in the mirror. It was not in her nature to obsess about appearance but considering the significance of the occasion, she could not help scrutinizing herself. To Natalie's relief, she resembled more closely her father than her mother. Her father, who she had several photographs of as a result of Kalissa's meticulous searching, had been a short, mousy haired Muggle with muddy brown eyes. His name was David Claggerton, hard working and ordinary. Natalie had adopted those deep, murky brown eyes, his round face and according to Kalissa, his nervous and twitchy manners. Fortunately, Natalie had only received from Bellatrix long, wiry dark black hair and a slender, narrow body. Her mother's notorious heavily lidded eyes, high cheekbones and haughty looking face had not been passed on. Natalie did possess, to her intense dismay, Bellatrix's fiery temper and at times, uncontrollable aggression. But throughout her life, Kalissa had instilled in her a calm, well calculated approach to life and its problems. Bellatrix's personality had been to Natalie's relief somewhat eradicated or at least suppressed.

Natalie studied her face more closely. Her features were well proportioned but there was nothing extraordinary or detestable. She held neither the girlish softness or daring confidence that characterized attractive women. The lines and creases were clearly defined, the eyes wearisome and the mouth locked in a slight frown. Likely due to her worries about her mother. She looked older than a girl of sixteen. But she lacked the feminine curves and grace of a woman. Like most girls her age, Natalie found herself in the transition stage between the shallowness of childhood and the depth of adulthood. Natalie knew that she could not cross this threshold in a few easy strides; rather her path followed a complicated, rambling zigzag. And this zigzag always traced back to her mother, the woman who had wanted her dead.

Loneliness and despair once again attacked Natalie at the slightest implication of her mother's hatred for her. Natalie always conceded that Bellatrix did give birth to her. However, she refused to let herself be trapped in the childish hope of that occurrence being a product of motherly love. She knew her birth attributed more to Bellatrix's belief of the child being fathered by Bellatrix's pureblood husband. Once the humiliating truth was realized, her mother had set out to destroy the very thing she had let grow and develop within her body. Natalie shuddered. If not for Kalissa, Bellatrix would have succeeded. Apparently, Kalissa had lived in the same neighbourhood as David Claggerton, knowing him fairly well. She had learnt about his affair with Bellatrix and then strived to save him and his child from the maniac's wrath. Unfortunately, he had not been spared but Kalissa had rescued Natalie who Bellatrix had left to die in a terrible fire. Kalissa had raised Natalie like she was her own child. They were emotionally mother and daughter, sisters and best friends all at once.

Natalie's heart gave a lurch at the thought of Kalissa. She had recently received a letter from her guardian. The letter had been short and succinct, not revealing much except Kalissa's state and questions for Natalie about Hogwarts as well as a heartfelt "Good Luck". Natalie wondered how strong an aversion Kalissa had for Britain in order for her to leave Hogwarts. After the First War had concluded abruptly with the defeat of Voldemort at the tiny hands of baby Harry Potter, Kalissa had decidedly left Britain and Hogwarts to go teach at Durmstrang. She had witnessed too many horrors during Voldemort's reign. She had been in his year at Hogwarts and even then, had been exposed to the monster. Best friends, comrades, pleasant relatives and distant acquaintances had been destroyed at his order. In Britain, all she knew was devastation, heartbreak and brutal loss. Durmstrang offered an escape route, no matter how dreary a place , from the bombardment of such memories.

The distant rumble of a train interrupted Natalie's musings. The Hogwarts Express had arrived. Her school year would begin in a few hours. She could not contain the heavy nervousness at the bottom of her stomach which was now twisting itself into tight knots. She desperately hoped she would not be placed into Slytherin. Not the same house that had given birth to Voldemort and her mother. Dumbledore had said that the Sorting Hat took into consideration a person's choices so she decided Slytherin would definitely not be an option. Any of the other three houses would be acceptable though being in Hufflepuff would be slightly embarrassing.

She constantly wondered as to how the other students would react to her. These ponderings gave rise to more surges of dread and fear. Kalissa's family, the Malkaes, were known as a very dark, conservative family. Kalissa's uncle had been an accomplice of the evil wizard, Grindelwald, killing and torturing hundreds in Britain. Despite Kalissa's reputation as one of Voldemort's strongest opposers, the Malkae name still generated considerable distrust in the magical community, especially in Britain. So Natalie grimly supposed the Slytherins would attempt to befriend her, something she was determined to not let happen. The other students would likely just leave her alone and regard her with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. She was destined for loneliness. This time without Kalissa.

She heard the swift, staccato clicking of shoes outside her door. Professor McGonagall had come to take her to the Opening Feast. Natalie breathed in deeply and after one last look at her former bedroom, left to begin a new journey in her life.


	6. An Exciting First Night

Chapter 6- An Exciting First Night

"I'd like you all to welcome Natalie Malkae. She is a new student from Durmstrang who will be undergoing her sixth year of education at Hogwarts," announced Dumbledore in his thunderous voice.

Natalie blushed immensely. Dumbledore had not informed her of this introduction. All of the first year students had been sorted, leaving her to literally take the stage. Natalie walked over to the Sorting Hat, smiling nervously at the rest of the students. She received an indifferent applause interspersed with surprised murmurs and mutterings. She placed the Hat over her head, covering her eyes.

In a scrutinizing and slightly condescending voice, the Sorting Hat whispered eagerly in her head, "Ah, I see who you are. I never knew your mother had a child. You're different from her. A dangerous temper and a desperate desire to succeed are there but also a tenderness and rebellious defiance that your mother did not have. Oh, you don't want to be in Slytherin. Well, then I cannot put you there. It wouldn't suit you anyway, especially considering the identity of your father. Then let me see. I think Gryffindor would be the match. No objection to that? So Gryffindor!"

Natalie lifted the hat, cautiously left the stool and navigated her way to the Gryffindor table. A puzzled and blank silence reverberated throughout the dining hall. Those students, who knew of the Malkae reputation, were shocked. Others, expecting her to match the snobbish, pureblood stereotype associated with Durmstrang, looked confused. And a few people were just quietened by the deafening silence they could sense. In a time where light and dark were clearly defined, Natalie's sorting seemed to disrupt the accepted rules and notions that were guiding people. They simply did not know what to think or say. Natalie forced herself to ignore the silence. She took her seat at the Gryffindor table, not bothering to respond to the cold and uneasy looks directed at her. Instead, she looked up at the staff table and saw Dumbledore beaming at her. The Care of Magical Creatures teacher, who she had taken quite a liking to, winked at her. She could discern the smallest outlines of a smile on Professor McGonagall's face as she took the Sorting Hat away. A warmth permeated Natalie's body. At least some people were happy for her.

"Excellent. I must say I am positively famished. So, dig in as we begin another new school year."

All four house tables lining the dining hall immediately filled with dishes and dishes of food after one snap of Dumbledore's fingers. Natalie's mouth was watering. She would have time later to evaluate the school's reaction to her and contemplate her new house. She gave herself a huge helping of roast beef, mashed potatoes, boiled carrots and sausage stuffing. As she ate, she enjoyed the lighthearted, boisterous atmosphere of the feast. At Durmstrang, meals were usually dominated by hushed whispers and mutterings between very inclusive groups. Natalie sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, next to most of the first years. So to her disappointment, she mainly heard their excited and nervous introductions to one another. She did catch bits and parts of conversations; some about the summer, others about the new school year and the course load.

Before Natalie could take a slightly smaller second helping, the door to the hall opened with a soft snap. Harry Potter stepped in, his face covered entirely with dried blood. Many people, especially at the Gryffindor table, had stopped eating. Some stared at him in concern, others were stunned and a few tapped their fingers in annoyance.

Natalie brooded angrily in her seat. He just had to make a dramatic entrance. But again, he displayed that shyness, almost unfitting for such a famous person. His face had a very rosy red blush to it so that with the blood, he resembled a tomato. He walked hurriedly to the Gryffindor table, his head looking straight ahead and to everyone's surprise, took the seat beside Natalie. Natalie supposed he did not want to spend any more time standing. The seat beside her provided the simplest route.

" Erm, what happened?" asked Natalie irritably. She did not like how the rest of the Gryffindor table was now gawking at her.

"Just some trouble on the train. Ran into some people," replied Harry hastily.

"Oh." Natalie gathered that he had been attacked by students on the train. Likely Slytherins. Her insides instantly warmed in sympathy for him. "Harry, for heaven's sake, come here. I suppose you aren't aware that your face is completely coated with dried blood."

"What?" asked Harry, touching his face frantically.

Natalie raised her wand, muttered, "_Tergeo"_ and siphoned off the blood.

"There, now you look better. Still a bit red though, aren't we?" Natalie could not help adding that last phrase. She strongly resisted the urge to laugh

Harry looked immensely relieved. "Thanks so much." Realizing her quip, he added indignantly, " Well, you would be embarrassed if that happened to you."

Natalie nodded, still trying to prevent a smile from crossing her face. To her relief, most people at the table had started eating and resumed their conversations. Harry temporarily was not the center of attention.

Harry waved his hand dismissively towards a tall, red haired boy and a bushy, brown haired girl who were walking to him with concerned looks on their faces. He mouthed, "I'll talk to you guys later." They reluctantly went back to their seats.

"Are those your friends?" asked Natalie curiously.

"Yeah. The red haired one is Ron Weasley and the girl is Hermione Granger. "

"Oh, that's nice." She could not help but feel sad that she did not have any friends who would be worried for her like that.

"So, you're in Gryffindor?" asked Harry, dishing out some food onto his plate. His voice, she noticed with pleasure, lacked any surprise or skepticism.

"Yeah. I didn't want to be in Slytherin and Dumbledore said the Hat bases its decision on a person's choice. So it was just between the other three and it picked me for Gryffindor. I'm still surprised though. I'd expected Ravenclaw."

"It's nice that you're in Gryffindor. We'll be in the same classes then. Which courses are you taking?"

Natalie's spirits slightly lifted at the eager tone in his voice. "Erm, let me see. Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Harry looked at her, impressed. "That's the same load Hermione's taking. She's the Muggleborn I'd told Slughorn that was at the top of our year. So, I suppose you're very smart then. Do you have O.W.L. examinations in Durmstrang?"

"In Durmstrang, they actually have exams like the O.W.L. in the sixth year. So for this year, Professor McGonagall looked at my marks for the previous five years and judged if I could take the courses I requested. How'd you do in your examinations?"

"Better than I expected in fact. I received 7 O.W.L.'s: 1 Outstanding, 1 Acceptable and 5 Exceeds Expectations. But I don't think I can be an Auror with those results," said Harry with a trace of disappointment.

"Why?"

"To be an Auror, you need to take a N.E.W.T. course for Potions. I won't get into the N.E.W.T. course for Potions because the Potions master only accepts students with an Outstanding. I received an Exceeds Expectations."

"Oh, that's too bad. But surely there are other things you can do. So who are the other people in our year?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I didn't introduce them earlier. You've met Ron and Hermione. The Indian girl over there is Parvati, the girl next to her is called Lavender- they're very giggly. The black boy across with that red haired girl-she's Ron's sister, is Dean. He's also in our year. The boy next to him is Seamus and the boy across him is Neville Longbottom," said Harry, pointing to each one as he spoke.

"Longbottom?" The heaviness at the bottom of her stomach gained strength. He was likely the son of the two people Natalie's mother had tortured into insanity. Natalie looked down at her food, angry and humiliated at Bellatrix and at herself.

"Yeah. What's wrong?" asked Harry with a worried and puzzled expression on his face.

"I've heard about his parents," answered Natalie quietly.

Harry's face dawned in comprehension. "Oh. Well, it was terrible. But he's doing fine, now," he said soothingly.

Natalie smiled weakly at him. Anxious to change the topic, she asked, "So how was your summer?"

"Not bad actually. After I saw you, I basically spent the rest of the holidays with the Weasleys. Playing Quidditch and eating a lot of food."

"Bit tame, isn't it for the _Chosen One?_" jested Natalie.

A grim, somber look unfolded itself over Harry's features. But upon seeing Natalie's smile and realizing the sarcasm, the sullenness quickly dissipated.

"Well, you'll come to see that I like 'tame', especially with what I've been through," retorted Harry with a sneaky grin on his face.

They both stared at each other in bewilderment. Then they proceeded to laugh loudly, causing others at the table to stare at them curiously.

"So how was your summer, Natalie?"

Natalie felt her insides squirm again at the mention of her name. "Ok. It was nice spending time at Hogwarts for most of the summer- the castle is absolutely beautiful."

Harry frowned at her. "They let you stay here over the summer. Why?"

Natalie slowly swallowed her roast beef. She contemplated as to whether she should tell him about Kalissa. She decided she would give him a very hazy version of the truth. Harry seemed pretty trustworthy but still, telling him that her mother was hiding from Voldemort was imprudent and dangerous.

"Well, my mother, who teaches at Durmstrang, was very busy this summer. She works for the Order and with Voldemort coming back, Dumbledore has everyone going at maximum speed. She thought it would be better for my safety if I stayed at Hogwarts and not in Durmstrang."

Harry stared at her in admiration. "Your mother works for the Order? That's pretty impressive."

Natalie was relieved and pleased at his complement. "Thanks, but I still wish that we could have spent time with each other. Hogwart's great though."

Harry's eyes took on a dreamy look. "Yeah. I know. Sometimes I wish we'd just skip the summer and get on with the next school year."

Natalie remembered his rather unpleasant relatives. "Your aunt and uncle don't look like the type of Muggles who'd handle the idea of a magical school very well."

Harry gave a shaky laugh. "They detest absolutely anything that's not normal. For all my life, they've regarded me as a freak and treated me like I'm absolute scum." The last few words held a strong note of disgusted loathing.

Natalie frowned. "That's absolutely terrible! Why the hell are you staying with them?"

Harry sighed. In a hushed, low voice so that none of the first years around them could eavesdrop, he said, "Dumbledore says that because they're my blood-well at least my aunt- the protection that my mother gave me exists in that house."

"Really? That's actually quite interesting," answered Natalie, astonished that a simple blood protection could guard against Voldemort.

An apprehensive expression crossed his face. "It's not that interesting. All it means I have to live with them every summer. Absolute nightmare."

Natalie wanted to find out more about the protection Harry had received from his mother but upon seeing the tense, rigid stance he had taken in response to his mother's protection, Natalie decided not to press further on the sensitive topic. "So what did you do at your friends' house?" asked Natalie, remembering the extremely eccentric but very homely building.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing much. Play Quidditch and eat a lot anyway."

"That's not a bad combination," said Natalie sarcastically.

Harry laughed. "How's it at Hogwarts during the summer?"

"The place is absolutely beautiful, especially in the summer. Since it was only me and the teachers in the castle, I managed to explore and basically know the castle backwards by me. But having no one to talk to you does get to you."

Harry nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. When I'm with my aunt and uncle, I can't wait to read the letters from my friends."

Natalie could not help but feel a pang of resentment that she had no letters from friends to look forward to.

"Though the teachers are all quite nice, especially Hagrid. He invited me over tea at least every other day."

Harry smiled fondly. "Hagrid was the one who picked me up from the Dursleys in the summer of my first year."

Natalie nodded. "So you two are pretty close."

"Yeah," replied Harry. "Best day of my life, that was. He gave my cousin a pig's tail that day."

Natalie laughed. "I would have loved to see that. What did your cousin do?"

"Tried to eat the birthday cake Hagrid had made for me," answered Harry.

"Not the rock cakes, I hope?" asked Natalie with a smirk on her face.

"I don't know. Dudley had gotten his entire face through the cake before I could even blow the candles."

Natalie shook her head. "What a pig!"

"But I wonder what would happen if Dudley had eaten one of Hagrid's rock cakes."

"Almost broke my teeth the first time I bit into them," remarked Natalie, grimacing at the memory of that painful experience.

Harry chuckled. "So did you see Dumbledore as well?"

Natalie recognized the badly disguised curiosity behind his question. "He came and went from the castle. But when he was there, I did visit him in his office quite a bit. He's absolutely brilliant!"

Harry smiled. "Nothing seems to faze him."

Natalie nodded. "I know. He talks about Death Eaters and Voldemort like they're old friends corrupted. It's sometimes gets unnerving though and when he talks in riddles, I feel that I'm trying to do those crosswords in the Muggle newspapers."

"I find it rather irritating when he becomes that vague," said Harry darkly.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at the bitterness in his voice. Obviously, Dumbledore's somewhat cryptic and clandestine nature had upset Harry in the past few years.

They continued chatting for the rest of the meal. Natalie found that it was quite easy to talk to Harry. They shared many laughs over the comical events of their summers and had no trouble needling one another. When there was something that he sensed she felt uncomfortable talking about, he did not press for information. She rather enjoyed his company.

Seeing that the feast was almost over, Natalie turned to Harry. "Looks like the feast is going to be finished pretty soon. I think you should give me a brief run of school life here before Dumbledore speaks."

Harry grinned. "It's probably not much different than Durmstrang. We have the Slytherins, who are just snobbish and arrogant gits, and then everybody else sort of flows together. Besides the Slytherins, everyone's pretty much friendly and approachable. They do form themselves into cliques and it sometimes gets annoying. But that's probably natural for teenagers."

Natalie nodded. "It's probably a lot friendlier than at Durmstrang," spat Natalie vehemently.

Harry eyed her curiously. "Really? When we had them for the Triwizard Tournament, they seemed ok."

"Well, generally, the students are decent and somewhat approachable there, at least to outsiders. Thankfully, we don't have any pureblood fanatics and none of the pureblood nonsense at Durmstrang that seems to be a bit of problem at Hogwarts, but within the school, the cliques and tight groups there are really exclusive and very snobbish. You can get some people that are just detestable." Natalie shuddered.

Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "So Durmstrang does not mind Muggle borns or half bloods attending?"

"It's a misconception that because the school teaches the Dark Arts, it's also in favour of the ideals the Death Eaters want. Bulgaria, where Durmstrang is, learned from Grindelwald's war how devastating the ramifications of blood prejudice can be so both at Durmstrang and within the Ministry at Bulgaria, they've tried to get rid of all the people who supported Muggle born cleansing during and following Grindelwald's time. I personally believe that we should get rid of the entire concept of blood- it creates too much of a division in the wizarding world. And then Dark magic only gives people weapons to exacerbate those tensions."

"That's interesting- I did not know that about Durmstrang but I agree with you about Dark Magic," said Harry approvingly.

The food suddenly cleared. Dumbledore tapped his goblet, indicating that he wished to make his opening speech. Almost immediately, all conversations stopped and mostly everyone waited to hear the Headmaster's words.

"Before we get ready to dive into another school year, I would like to inform you of a few changes. Professor Horace Slughorn, a former teacher at Hogwarts, has to our considerable pleasure agreed to come back to the school and assume his position as Potions Master."

Slughorn stood up, dramatically waving his hands at the students who responded with a hesitant, puzzled applause. Harry blinked disbelievingly. Natalie had no idea what was so confusing. Slughorn seemed like the type of person to teach Potions.

"And we are proud to say that Professor Severus Snape will be leaving his post as Potions Master and will be taking on the position of Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher."

Harry loudly exclaimed, "No!"

Natalie glanced at Harry, bewildered. He was not alone. Several others at the Gryffindor table clenched their fists and muttered darkly to one another. The Slytherins at the opposing side of the wall cheered gleefully. A pale faced, black haired man at the staff table acknowledged the applause with a lazy wave of his hand.

After the clapping and murmurs abated, Dumbledore continued. "Now, on a more serious note, I cannot emphasize enough the dangerous nature of these times. I know I can trust you all to be careful and take the most prudent precautions regarding your safety. Nonetheless, measures still have to be taken. A series of charms and spells have made the castle far more protected than last year. In addition, Aurors will be patrolling the castle on a daily basis. As far as rules go, the usual except this year no lingering shall be allowed on the grounds and the school after daylight. I advise all of you to follow these rules or harsh penalties shall follow. I believe that's all I have to say tonight. I think you all deserve a good night's sleep before we get into another busy year."

With a clap of his hands, the students stood up from their seats and began to exit the Great Hall.

As Natalie and Harry walked towards the doors with the other students, Natalie turned her head toward a bitter Harry. "What's wrong? Is that Professor Snape?" asked Natalie, tilting her head towards the black haired man.

"Yeah. That's him. He's the Head of Slytherin and _used _to be the Potions Master. He's an absolute git. He loves the Dark Arts and asks for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position each year. Dumbledore usually never gives it to him but I have no idea why Snape's getting his wish this year," spat Harry, a look of pure loathing on his face.

"I suppose you and him aren't best friends," mused Natalie with a hint of sarcasm.

Harry missed the joke. "Definitely not. He absolutely hates me. My father and Snape were enemies at school and he's carried on the grudge to me."

Natalie frowned. She thought all the teachers at Hogwarts would be completely enamored with Harry, giving his troubled past. She was also surprised that she had never heard about this man. "It's funny that I didn't meet him during the summer. He must have come yesterday. But none of the other teachers spoke of him."

"Well, he's not exactly the most popular person in the school. The man does not know what respect is. He detests Gryffindors and loves his Slytherins," said Harry disgustedly.

"Hey Harry, wait up!"

Both of them turned around to see the source of the voice. Harry's friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, were rushing towards them. Harry stopped walking and waited for them. Natalie motioned to leave but Harry held her back.

"Oh yeah. Sorry you guys. This is Natalie. She's from Durmstrang and she's in our year," introduced Harry.

Natalie smiled meekly at them, extending her hand. The girl, Hermione, tentatively shook Natalie's hand, studying her closely while the boy, Ron gave Natalie a curt nod. Natalie assumed sullenly that these two were aware of the Malkae family and its reputation. She realized she would have to endure many of these cautious, suspicious greetings.

"Harry, what on earth happened? Why were you so late?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"Erm, I went to check on Malfoy on the train. He caught me and broke my nose. Luckily, Tonks found me and we walked back to the castle," replied Harry, his cheeks blushing a deep, crimson red.

Hermione frowned. "Honestly, Harry. You got to be more careful. Remember what Dumbledore said."

Before Harry could respond, Hermione had darted ahead to guide the first years while Ron stayed back with Natalie and Harry. As they resumed walking to Gryffindor tower, Ron diverted his attention to Harry.

"Git. He was gesturing something to do with a nose to the rest of the idiots, "muttered Ron angrily.

"Anyway," said Harry in a hushed voice, looking around. "Malfoy was talking about being a Death Eater and about some task he has to do. He's up to something."

"Ah. Probably just wanted to boast for the others," countered Ron reasonably.

" But remember that day at Diagon Alley. He looked awfully secretive," said Harry stubbornly.

Natalie, who had been walking alongside and whose curiosity had peaked with the implication of a student being a Death Eater, asked, "Who's Malfoy?"

"Slytherin in our year. You'll see him. Typical pureblood lover and Voldemort supporter. His father's a Death Eater and is in Azkhaban for what happened at the Ministry last summer," answered Harry with some satisfaction.

"Really? That's quite interesting. I don't know if somebody that young can be a Death Eater. He might be trying to avenge his father but joining Voldemort seems a bit too extreme," said Natalie thoughtfully.

Harry shook his head, still thinking about Malfoy. Ron looked unnerved that Natalie had spoken about Voldemort. Natalie glared at him in annoyance, causing him to become even more twitchy and position his body away from her. She had to contain herself from snapping at Ron's obvious unease with her.

They walked in silence until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded the entrance to Gryffindor tower. McGonagall had told Natalie the password so she felt a childish pride in being the one to voice the password to the portrait, causing it to open. They entered the Gryffindor common room. Natalie smiled in pleasure at the homely, comfortable nature of the room. Elegant leather couches with soft cushions, gently arching armchairs and polished, oak desks and chairs showed that this was undoubtedly Hogwarts.

Once they stepped across the portrait, Natalie saw the red haired girl, who Harry had referred to as Ron's sister, marching towards them with a blazing look on her face. Natalie noticed grimly that her eyes filled with venom were fixated on Natalie.

Harry stepped forward to make the introduction. Before he could, the red haired girl stopped directly in front of Natalie so that their faces were only inches apart.

"Get away from him. Harry does not know who your family is. I don't know how your _type_ got into this house but we aren't falling for your tricks. If you know what's right for you, you'll keep to yourself and not bother him," hissed the girl maliciously.

Natalie held the girl's firm gaze. Her body pulsated in rage, her heat slamming against her chest. However, Natalie was determined to not sink to the same judgmental, thoughtless tactics. Natalie was very conscious that in these kind of contentious situations, she had the tendency to become very belligerent.

Harry looked completely dumbfounded. "Ginny, what?"

Still not taking her eyes off Natalie, Ginny replied disgustedly, "This girl's family is one of the darkest you'll see. They've been linked to every dark wizard that's gained power in the last 500 years. Every wizard, who has an inkling of common sense, keeps away from them."

Natalie gauged that this was the moment to refute the girl and render her speechless. In a steady, matter of fact voice, she stated icily, "Ginny, that's your name, isn't it? You are completely wrong as vindicated as you may feel now. I don't think you've heard of my mother, Kalissa Malkae. She was one of Dumbledore's most trustworthy allies in the last war against Voldemort and still opposes him today. I er believe that Dumbledore is a wizard with an_ inkling_ _of common sense_." Natalie made sure to place a strong note of sarcasm on the last phrase.

Ginny appeared slightly taken aback. She straightened her body and took a few paces backward. Natalie sensed that the encounter had taken a favorable turn in her direction. She needed to exit now before the conversation descended into nasty and malevolent trenches.

"Thank you for this enlightening experience. As much as I'd like to discuss the contentious areas of morality regarding my family, I do need to go to sleep." Natalie swiftly turned around and started to walk to the stairs leading to the dormitories.

However, to Natalie's dismay, Ginny's fierce aggression did not waver.

"Harry, you cannot trust her. She comes from the same type of filthy Death Eater scum as Malfoy and Lestrange," hissed Ginny behind Natalie's back.

Natalie jerked around. She did not know whether the allusion to Lestrange or the implicit description of her as scum or both had inflamed the fury stirring within her stomach. She could feel the cool, impervious layer covering her evaporate. Uncontrollable rage was ready to pour out.

She took a few, swift steps towards Ginny. Her eyes had lost its aloof coldness to be replenished by savage, intense loathing. In a voice saturated with abominable contempt, Natalie said loudly for the entire room to hear, "So I'm filth, am I? You've never seen me in your entire life but you seem to be absolutely convinced beyond any reason that I am a future Death Eater. What does that make you for judging me so stupidly? You're just the typical Gryffindor who just runs around, righteously cursing everybody you think is a Dark wizard with that disgusting pompous bravado. In my eyes, that's almost as prejudiced and cruel as the scum you call Death Eaters. So Ginny, if I'm filth, then I think I can say respectfully say that it takes one to know one."

Most Gryffindors in the room were now staring at them. Many gasped in dumb shock, others glared furiously at Natalie and a few watched eagerly. Natalie could hear Ron give a low growl next to Harry, his eyes clouding in fury.

"How dare you!" shrieked Ginny, her face completely red. She raised her wand in a quick motion and screamed, "_Stupefy!_"

A jet of red light came rocketing towards Natalie. Natalie immediately reacted, waving her wand in a fluid, unhurried motion. An invisible shield appeared in front of her, rebounding the red light and sending it hurtling back to Ginny.

Ginny dived out of the way of her rebounded curse. Natalie took advantage of the split second opening given to her. She pointed her wand at Ginny and yelled, "_Aeronaugio!"_

A stream of air hit Ginny straight in the chest, sending her flying through the air until she fell onto the floor at the other end of the room with a dull thud.

A furious outcry rang across the room. People were rushing towards Ginny, others approaching Natalie with murderous looks on their faces. Natalie stood in the middle of the common room, her mind blank and stunned. She was aware of the events that had transpired but could not force her mind to grasp the enormity of her actions. She could barely feel hands pulling her outside of the common room, dragging her into an unused classroom. When she looked up to see the person who guided her, the panic and dread that had chosen momentarily to blend in with shock abruptly reared its head. Harry Potter was gazing into her eyes.

"What did you do to her?" he asked her angrily.

Natalie could not open her mouth. Her mind and body were disconnected. Both shared the same hollowness that desperation had dug but neither could use this sensation to coordinate their actions. Slowly, Natalie realized she could not lose her composure when she was so vulnerable. Her unflinching calmness crawled back.

"Nothing that she didn't deserve. Don't worry, I didn't hurt your precious friend. The curse was harmless, even less than her meager Stunning spell. The worst she can get is a few bruises."

Harry looked much more relieved. He surveyed her closely. "Look, I'm sorry what she said about you. I don't agree with her at all. But there was no reason for you to retaliate."

Anger again surged up her throat. "How dare you blame me? In case you didn't see, she was the one who confronted me, who called me filth and compared me to Lestrange and who aimed the Stunning spell at me. So don't you dare lecture me," retorted Natalie.

Harry now stared at her with an exasperated look on his face. "Please don't snap at me. I tried to talk nicely to you. But what you did was stupid. She's not usually like that. She's a good person and one of my friends. It was unnecessary for you to call her filth and then use that spell on her."

"Oh right. I can't touch the friends of the _Boy who Lived_ because like him, they're ll so noble and honourable. Why don't you just leave me alone and go comfort her?" hissed Natalie scathingly.

"That's not what I said. I said it before but obviously you did not understand. I do not like being famous. I never asked to be marked for death by Voldemort. What do you have against me, honestly?" said Harry furiously.

Natalie stared at him in disbelief. He had completely missed her point. She had not intended to call him selfish but clearly, he felt she harbored a grudge against him. Frustrated, sad and angry, Natalie shrieked, "You know what, why in the hell am I talking to you?" She stalked out of the room, not bothering to look back at Harry.

"Miss Malkae and Mr. Potter, come here now." The stern voice stopped Natalie in the midst of her fierce, aggressive strides. Behind her, Harry rushed out of the classroom to see the owner of the voice. Simultaneously, both of them turned around to find Professor McGonagall scowling at them. At her side, a slightly grimacing Ginny Weasley stood with her hand clutching her chest.

"All three of you, come to my office. Yes, you too Potter. I will need a third person to guide me through this mess. I do not know what happened in the common room tonight but I can assure you that violence in my house is unacceptable. I do not stand for such things and I shall hope that whatever transpired tonight does not repeat itself again," asserted McGonagall irately.

They followed her to her office where the three of them took the seats opposite her desk. Harry sat in the middle with Ginny and Natalie on either side.

"Potter, please tell me what happened."

With a lurch, Natalie realized that Harry had little incentive to give an objective account of the incident. Ginny Weasley was his friend and Natalie doubted that Harry would be thinking of her in friendly terms after their spat. She would have to rely on the fairness of her friend, Professor McGonagall.

Harry clasped his hands nervously under Professor McGonagall's expectant gaze. He stared down at his shoes, forcefully avoiding the eyes of anybody else in the office. She could tell that he was clueless as what to say or how to say it. After inhaling deeply, Harry stated with a slight tremor, "Er, Professor, I'll try to be accurate as I can. From what I remember, Natalie and I were talking in the common room with Ron. Ginny came up to us and said some nasty things about Natalie's family. Natalie retaliated, calling Ginny something very bad. Then I think Ginny sent a Stunning spell towards Natalie. Natalie blocked the spell and then sent a curse that hit Ginny. It was like a mass of air flying towards Ginny. I hope she's alright. After that, chaos occurred. It was like a blur. People were gathering around Ginny, others coming toward Natalie. I just pulled Natalie out of the way before the situation got even worse. That's all I can recount."

Natalie could barely keep her mouth from opening in surprise. She felt a wave of elation and gratitude towards Harry. He had actually given quite a fair version of the story, not leaned towards Ginny but rather had almost placed Ginny in the role of culprit.

" Thank you, Potter. Miss Weasley and Miss Malkae, do you agree with the validity of that story?" asked McGonagall, sweeping her eyes over the three of them from Natalie to Ginny.

Natalie nodded, trying to not appear too eager. She could see Ginny on Harry's other side lift her head with a perplexed, indignant expression on her face. For a moment, Natalie expected Ginny to dismiss the accuracy of Harry's description. But Ginny did nod. It was a slow painful bow of the head but nevertheless, an acknowledgement.

"Very well. Thank you again, Potter. 10 points to Gryffindor for having the sense to take Miss Malkae out of the common room and avoiding a disaster. You may leave while I discuss with Miss Weasley and Miss Malkae the penalties they shall receive for the shameful display they put on tonight."

Potter nodded and left the room, not too reluctantly. Natalie saw disappointedly that the stony, rigid expression on Professor McGonagall's face had not wavered from the moment she had come upon Harry and Natalie. The next few minutes would certainly not be the finest moments of Natalie's life.

"I am extremely disappointed by the way both of you conducted yourselves tonight. Did neither of you pay any attention to the Headmaster's speech tonight? In these times, mindless and barbaric dueling is unsafe, unneeded and reckless. Let me say that both of you are on the same side. I want you to understand that such behavior is not tolerated at Hogwarts."

McGonagall let her words reverberate for a few moments. The disappointment and agitation in her tone induced feelings of tremendous shame and regret within Natalie. She wished that McGonagall had chastised her in a sterner, more reproachful manner and that Natalie did not consider the professor as one of her closest friends. For then, Natalie would not have felt such a powerful wave of embarrassment and a desperate desire to redeem herself.

McGonagall continued in a firmer, brisker voice. "Now, the punishments for such fighting can be extremely harsh. But, I know both of you very well and that this encounter does not at all reflect your usual pattern of behavior. So the penalties this time will not be as severe as they usually are. Both of you will serve detention with me tomorrow and the day after. 50 points each shall taken from Gryffindor. Of course, each of you will have your parents informed."

McGonagall's eyes swept over Natalie. Natalie tried her best to hold the gaze of the professor despite a strong urge to let her eyes fall down to her shoes. Natalie cringed as McGonagall started to address her. "Miss Malkae, I expected better from you. Keeping a level head and controlling your emotions is a highly valued quality. Such retaliation is unacceptable. Please do not disappoint me, again."

"Yes, m'am," stammered Natalie. The humiliation was overwhelming.

McGonagall then focused her eyes on Ginny. "Miss Weasley, from what I have gathered from Potter's account, you initiated this conflict. It is unwise and naïve to judge a person on the basis of their family or by stereotypes. You of all people should know that. It was foolish of you to send a Stunning spell at Miss Malkae. You too must learn that aggression especially in these times must be controlled."

"Yes Professor," said Ginny in a stronger voice than Natalie.

"That's settled. I expect both of you to resolve whatever problem you have with each other as quickly as possible. If I see anything like this again, the punishment shall be much more severe. Both of you may go. Hurry before it gets too late."

Natalie and Ginny quietly left the room. Harry had been waiting for them outside. Together, all of three of them silently walked back to the common room. As they walked, Natalie reflected that this experience could have been much worse. She was slightly miffed that Minerva handed them identical punishments even though she mentioned Ginny had been the one to instigate the dispute. But overall, the punishments had been quite light. Natalie supposed she owed Harry a thanks for being objective. Before she could express her feelings, Harry turned to Ginny outside of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

He looked apologetic. "Ginny, I had to tell the truth. It would have been unfair to-"

Ginny's face, which had been impassive and cold, regained its blazing glare. "Don't even bother, Harry. I tried to help you. Trust her if you wish," said Ginny hotly. She mumbled the password and stomped through the portrait hole.

Natalie and Harry were left standing awkwardly next to one another. Harry gazed after Ginny in a combination of resignation and frustration. Natalie inwardly debated fiercely as to whether she should express her gratitude to Harry.

"Are you either of you coming in?" asked the Fat Lady irritably, startling both of them.

Harry made to cross the threshold but Natalie gripped his arm and told the Fat Lady, "You can close the door. We'll be a few minutes." The Fat Lady grumpily closed off the entrance. Harry stopped and looked confusedly at Natalie.

Natalie swallowed all her pride. "Thanks Harry for not erm distorting the story. I really appreciate it. Sorry if I erm started something between you and Ginny and sorry about my curtness with you earlier. Oh and thanks for pulling me out of the common room," added Natalie.

Harry stared at her thoughtfully for a moment before his face broke out in a wide grin. "Nah, don't worry. It wouldn't have been right if you took all the blame. Anyway, I needed to take you out of that room. Did you see the looks on their faces? I was terrified."

His face took on a more serious look. "But please don't call me the _Boy who Lived_."

Natalie found it difficult not to laugh that such a little thing bothered him but she agreed. "Yeah sure. But you are the _Chosen One,_" quipped Natalie.

Both of them laughed. They lightheartedly mumbled the password to the Fat Lady and entered the common room. Natalie thought the evening had ended on a rather nice note.


	7. First Day of Classes

A/N: Thanks very much to Mini Luna and HighQueenDofNarnia for reviewing. In general, I'm really happy with all the people reading this story-just more reviews please so I can improve!

Thanks to my sister for proofreading this chapter and cutting out some of the grammar mistakes/run on sentences that plagued earlier chapters.

As for the previous chapter, I do not intend to bash Ginny's character. Her reaction may have been a little OOC but I believe Ginny feels protective towards Harry with a strong undercurrent of jealousy. So somebody with Natalie who has the name of a family with the same reputation as the Malfoys and Lestranges would evoke a very harsh, inflammatory reaction from Ginny.

Anyway, I realize I have yet to do a disclaimer so here it goes:

Besides Natalie and Kalissa, I do not own anything else of the wizarding world that belongs to the brilliant genius of JK Rowling.

Chapter 7- First Day of Classes

Natalie awoke the next morning, alert and ready to begin her first day at Hogwarts. She noticed surprisingly that it was still slightly dark outside and the other three girls in the dormitory lay fast asleep. She looked at the time on her magic alarm clock. Natalie groaned. It was 6:45. After trying several times unsuccessfully to fall asleep, Natalie decided that it would be best for her to get dressed and continue some of her preparatory reading. She brushed her teeth, took a shower and quietly proceeded downstairs to the common room. As she skimmed through her Potions textbook, Natalie reflected on last night.

From an outsider's perspective, the night had been a disaster. She had received two detentions, lost 50 points for Gryffindor and made several enemies, not to mention the small fact that she had attacked another student in full view of the entire Gryffindor common room. However, for some mysterious reason, Natalie felt somewhat exhilarated and excited. Harry Potter seemed to have befriended her. His aversion to any sort of attention along with his unrestrained warmth to her had completely changed her impression of him. She started to see why Dumbledore liked him so much. The possibility that she may have a friend in Harry, though she did not want to raise her spirits too high, was very reassuring. It gave her something to look forward to instead of the usual gloomy sullenness. She sighed, thinking she was likely taking too much out of too little.

After Natalie had been reading for about half an hour and watched several students go down to breakfast, she decided to get something to eat. She put her Potions textbook back in her bag and reluctantly lifted herself from one of those cozy armchairs. As she walked to the portrait, Natalie ran straight into Harry Potter and his friends.

"Oh, sorry Harry. Let me get that bag," said Natalie, slightly flustered. She hastily picked up his bag.

"No problem. You going down to breakfast?" asked Harry, taking his bag.

"Yeah. I just wanted to get some toast and tea before Ancient Runes."

"Then, you can come with us. Hermione and I just want to get a bite as well. Ron, on the other hand, will take some time," remarked Harry, comically gesturing at his red haired friend.

Before either could react to the joke, Ron had walked up to Natalie, his face contorted with fury.

"Touch my sister again and you'll regret it," snarled Ron, waving his finger in front of her face.

"Excuse me. And what?" replied Natalie defiantly even though her insides were squirming. Her hand was squeezing the wand in her pocket.

"No, Ron, remember what McGonagall said about these types of things," exclaimed Hermione frantically, who was now tugging on his arm.

Before either could do anything, Harry pulled her away. "Honestly, Ron," scowled Harry.

Harry walked ahead through the portrait, Natalie at his side, with Ron and Hermione following. She could hear their frantic whispering.

At breakfast, Natalie sat down next to Harry and across from Ron and Hermione. To Natalie's displeasure, they both made a concerted effort to not look at her at all. Most of the other Gryffindors including some of the first years were sending her suspicious and even malicious looks. Determinedly avoiding them, Natalie concentrated on buttering her toast and occasionally talking to Harry.

Ancient Runes went smoothly. Natalie sat with a girl called Padma Patil, apparently the Ravenclaw twin of Parvati Patil. Hermione too was in the class as Harry had informed her. And like Harry said, Hermione was extremely smart. She answered most of the Professor's questions immediately and correctly. Natalie did take some pride in that she knew the answer to all of those questions as well and that she was able to describe more fully than Hermione the underlying groundwork of adverb styles in Ancient languages.

Once the bell rang, Natalie excitedly rushed out of class. She was eager to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts, mainly to see all the fuss behind Professor Snape. She took a seat in the back row, restlessly waiting for the class to begin as people filed in. While she waited, Natalie glanced around the classroom. It had a very grim, somber mood. Gruesome portraits lined the walls. Some showed people tortured and decayed by the Cruciatus curse, others displayed those with blank, mindless expressions on their faces; obviously the work of the feared Dementor Kiss and some even depicted the morbid actions of Inferi. The room was dimly lit and an unsympathetic, brisk coolness gripped the air. The gloomy atmosphere seemed to glorify those abominable portraits rather than condemn them. Natalie got the distinctly unpleasant impression that she was still in Durmstrang.

The dull thud of a heavy bag disrupted her wandering thoughts. She quickly jerked her head to see the familiar spectacles of Harry Potter gazing down upon her.

"Can we sit here?" he asked pleasantly.

"Sure," replied Natalie, her voice slightly high. He had an uncomfortable habit of startling her. Though on second glance, she noticed that Ron and Hermione did not seem too excited to sit with her. Both were looking pointedly at Harry as if they strongly disagreed with his decision. They sat down tentatively at the other end of the desk while Harry took the seat next to Natalie. Her stomach gave a pleased lurch.

The door closed with a swift click. All heads turned to see the pale, dark haired Professor Snape sweep into the room, his presence commanding silence and utmost attention.

Without any introduction or greeting, he stated sharply, "You have had five teachers so far in this subject, I believe." He added a small touch of sarcasm to the last word.

His eyes roved over their upturned faces. Natalie thought he seemed to linger for a fraction of a second longer on Harry's face than anyone else's. She remembered Harry's comment that he and Snape detested one another.

"Naturally, these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion, I am so surprised so many of you scraped an O.W.L. in this subject. The N.E.W.T. work will be much more challenging so I shall be even more surprised if as many of you manage to keep up."

The arrogant, contemptuous edge to Snape's voice took Natalie by surprise. He seemed to bear a grudge against the entire school or at least its students.

"The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many varied, ever changing and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before."

Natalie gaped at the loving caress in his voice. He contrasted so much the anti-Dark Arts reputation that Hogwarts seemed to portray. He should definitely be teaching at Durmstrang; they would love him.

The lecture continued for another minutes with brief interjections from excessively curious students, mostly Gryffindors. They went over wordless spells and then set off in partners to practice these charms.

Harry tilted his head toward Natalie and asked nervously, "Partner?"

"Yeah, sure," answered Natalie steadily, carefully disguising her pleasure.

They moved to the back of the room. Ron and Hermione had paired up as well, not wanting anything to do with Natalie. A few people were shooting Harry and her curious, bemused looks. Ignoring them, Natalie kept her head held high and gazed at Harry expectantly. Harry pointed his wand at her, his lips pursed tightly and his cheeks blue faced. After waiting a minute, nothing happened. Harry let out a breath of frustration. Natalie could not resist laughing.

Harry frowned at her. "Well, you try it. It's hard to keep your mouth shut," he said crossly.

Since Kalissa had taught her these spells last summer, Natalie felt pretty confident that she was ahead of the class. She raised her wand at Harry and calmly focused on the word, "_Stupefy"._ A jet of red light was sent rocketing at Harry. For a spit second, Harry looked taken aback that she had succeeded but he quickly side stepped the spell. The red light hit the wall behind with a crashing explosion. Most of the class was now staring at them. Natalie inwardly swore at herself for using that spell when it would arise so much attention.

Snape quickly navigated his way towards them. "Potter, what did I say about repelling the spell? Unlike your classmates, I do not enjoy watching a childish display of your Quidditch reflexes," drawled Snape angrily. He lazily waved his wand at the hole in the wall Natalie had made, causing it to gradually mend itself.

Snape then eyed Natalie with an interested expression on his face. "Well done, Miss Malkae. It's really a shame that such talent should be wasted in Gryffindor. Though, you were foolish to use that spell on Potter. He does have a nasty habit of jumping out of the way," said Snape silkily. Harry looked positively irate.

"Let's see if Potter actually knows what a Shield charm is," continued Snape, still leering.

He turned his wand on Harry so fast that Harry reacted instinctively and yelled, "_Protego!"_

His Shield charm was so strong that Snape was knocked off-balance and hit a desk. The whole class watched as Snape righted himself, scowling.

"Do you remember me telling you we are practicing _nonverbal_ spells, Potter?"

Natalie was overcome by a strong urge to defend Harry. She felt guilty for the crack in the wall and angry at Snape's unfair needling of him. Before she could restrain herself, she said defiantly, "Professor, you shouldn't have turned your wand on him. He had almost no time to react. Anyway, it was my fault that the wall cracked."

Several people gasped. Natalie cringed. She sensed that she had placed herself in a very ominous position.

Snape eyed her dangerously. "20 points from Gryffindor. Miss Malkae, I do not stand for such cheek. Next time you talk to me that way, you will have a week of detentions. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said a furious Natalie.

"Yes, _sir_."

"There's no need for you to call her 'sir' Professor."

Several people, including Hermione, gasped. Natalie turned around to see the source of the quip. Harry stood there, an angry and triumphant gleam in his eyes.

Snape's face was livid. "30 points from Gryffindor, Potter and detention, tonight. I do not take such cheek from _The Chosen One._"

Natalie could barely suppress a smile. Harry's remark was completely idiotic, given Snape's unrestrained abuse of him but the paradoxical combination of his helplessness and his genuine bravado made the interaction quite amusing.

After the class ended, Natalie quickly pushed her books in her bags and rushed out of the class. Embarrassed that she had been reprimanded for the second time in as many days at Hogwarts, she desperately wanted to return to her dormitory and reflect on the day. Before she could distant herself from the others, she ran into a blonde haired boy with grey eyes and a nasty leer on his face. His eyes were narrowed at her, watching her intently.

"You're the new student, are you not? Malkae, eh? Father always talked highly about your family even with the disappointment your mother turned out to be. By the way, I heard what you did to the Weaslette last night." He gave a cruel laugh. "The Mudblood and the Weasel certainly do not seem to be too happy with you. You'll see that _type_ of people will not last long once everyone falls into their proper place."

Natalie instantly disliked this boy. He seemed to perfectly fit the Death Eater image she detested. An arrogant, pureblood lover who looked to be more words than action, judging by the massive beasts that were lodged on either side of him. And even more to her indignation, he appeared to regard her as some type of trophy or item that could refine his reputation within the school.

Not bothering to choose her words carefully, Natalie spat, "Please get away from me. I think I can see who the scum is. For your information, what I did to the red haired girl was unintentional and not some cruel, mean spirited act that your _type_ likes. And, I couldn't care less about what your Death Eater father says- my mother is a 100 times powerful than he could ever imagine."

The leer on his face quickly transformed into a snarl. He reached into his pocket but quickly withdrew his hand at the sight of Professor Flitwick walking down the hall. His cronies, who had clenched their fists, looked uncertainly at him.

"Join the mudblood lovers then like your filthy mother. You should realize that the Dark Lord does not reward traitors," hissed Malfoy maliciously.

With that comment, he and his two bodyguards walked past her along the corridor. Natalie's gaze followed their walking figures with smug pleasure. She heard a whistle behind her and then a hand clapped her back. Turning around, Natalie saw a positively delighted Harry.

"Good on you. That was bloody brilliant! Did you see the look on his face?" exclaimed Harry jovially.

Natalie blushed. She was again pleased at Harry's ease with her.

His face took on a much more suspicious look. "But it's not like him to leave like that. I swear there's something up with him," muttered Harry.

"Nah, he knows who my mother is. He doesn't have the nerve to try something on me," said Natalie airily. Despite her indifference, Malfoy's last remark still resounded in her head, twisting knots in her stomach.

"So, how does he know your family?" asked Harry casually as they walked to lunch.

Natalie sighed. He obviously wanted to know more about her after hearing Ginny last night and probably Ron today. It was natural curiosity but still frustrating that even the friendliest person towards her in school had some doubts.

"Erm. Ginny was right about the Malkaes. They are very famous in the circles that Malfoy's family run in. But I hate those people. They all think they're so superior just because they marry each other and produce supposedly purified kids."

Harry grinned at her. "Know what you mean."

Turning the attention away from her family, Natalie said, "Snape's a real git, isn't he? Honestly, what does he have against you?"

Harry's eyes darkened. "He and my dad were enemies at school. He apparently can't lose the grudge. Today was actually timid. But thanks for defending me. Not many people can stand up to him," added Harry with a tinge of admiration.

Natalie smiled. "Well I just thought he was so grumpy because he can't see anything past that greasy hair."

Harry laughed. "You're not the first one to say that."

"Where's Ron and Hermione?" asked Natalie, sensing that she would not like the answer.

Harry frowned. "Gone off to lunch. They're still a bit angry after last night. Don't worry they'll come around," muttered Harry.

"Oh." It did not bother Natalie that they were angry with her for hexing Ginny. She knew, however, that their coldness towards her came in part from some preconceived notion of her as a dark wizard or pure blood lover. Just because of her name and the school she used to go to. The irrationality and pure thickness maddened her.

The rest of the day proceeded rather smoothly, considering the dysfunctional, chaotic nature of her first day and a half at school. During Transfiguration and Charms, she was able to perform the spells as quickly as Hermione. In Arithmancy, she solved a relatively complex problem that all of the others, except for Hermione, could not even understand.

During potions, Natalie could not help but roll her eyes at Professor Slughorn. Not to her surprise, he did not refute her initial perception of him. He extravagantly presented the most complicated N.E.W.T. potions to the class with unnecessary and grossly exaggerated anecdotes about his life. Even, his announcement that he would reward the best prepared potion with Felix Felicis barely caught her attention. In Natalie's view, the most potent bottle of good luck would only make her troubles obsolete for an entire day. The next day, her mother would manifest herself in the same cumbersome worries.

Nevertheless, Natalie did not want to prepare a feeble, inconsistent potion. The pride of her own work motivated her. Even though she was carefully cutting, measuring and pouring her ingredients into the potion, the potion did not have the same full bodied purple colour recommended by the textbook. To Natalie's relief, Hermione's potion also had a slightly faint purple colour but Harry, on her left, had managed to produce an almost perfect potion. She looked at him in admiration. She had not taken him for a potions specialist.

Noticing her gaze, a slight blush crossed his face. But then, he muttered at her from the side of his mouth, "Add a clockwise stir."

Natalie stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face. That instruction was not in the textbook, but if it worked for Harry, then she might as well experiment with a new method. She added a clockwise stir and to her surprise and pleasure, her potion also took on a stronger purple.

"Thanks," whispered Natalie. Harry smiled at her, causing her to obsessively stare at the bubbles forming on a potion.

At the end of the class, Slughorn examined each person's potion. Once he came to Natalie and Harry, he let out a loud squeal.

"The clear winners! Looks like young Harry and Natalie have inherited their mother's talents. Kalissa and Lily were dab hands at Potions. I'll let both of you share the Felix Felicis," announced Slughorn boisterously.

As they streamed out of the class, Natalie whispered to Harry, "Listen, take the Felix Felicis. You helped me so you deserve it. Anyway, I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"Er, you sure? Thanks Natalie but you should know that the only reason I knew how to make that potion is because the last user of the textbook had written some er hints on the margin. He must have been a genius. I just wanted to get the bottle so that Malfoy wouldn't get it. "

Natalie frowned at Harry as Ron and Hermione joined them. The now revealed truth that he had won the bottle of Felix Felicis by copying from another person's notes enraged her. This very act seemed to fit her quickly evaporating image of him as some sort of arrogant toerag like Malfoy. But then again, he had been honest with her and she herself had benefited from this potion textbook. There was no doubt that what he had done was wrong, but he had not taken advantage of the situation. Oddly, he rather seemed to be trying to blend into it. Again, her quickly formed anger at him disappeared to be replaced by that same eerie fascination.

At supper, Harry told Ron and Hermione about the potions textbook. Hermione expectedly was quite disgruntled and reproachful. Ron, on the other hand, seemed annoyed that Harry had not shared his secret with him. Natalie noticed again that Ron and Hermione were making sure to keep their distance from Natalie.

Ron, who Natalie gathered was not the most subtle person, blurted, "Why did you help her anyway? Didn't you see what she did to Ginny?"

"Ron, lay off, will you?" said Harry darkly.

Natalie, whose temper was starting to rise with the unconcealed displeasure of Ron and Hermione at her presence, chose to confront them and set things straight.

Turning towards them, she said flatly, "Listen, I know neither of you are rather fond of me right now. But what happened yesterday evening is not at all an accurate indication of my personality. I am not as you may naively think an old fashioned pureblood lover or Voldemort backer. The things I said about my mother are completely true and I try to follow her example. So please remove any misconceptions you have about me and try to treat me with some respect."

A blanched, shocked silence washed over the two. Natalie noticed Harry smirking to her right. Not bothering to glare at them any longer, Natalie focused on eating her supper.

Once Natalie had finished her desert, she heard Hermione clear her throat. Natalie lifted her head to see Hermione nervously gazing at her.

"Yes?" said Natalie expectantly, not unpleasantly but not friendly either.

"Ron and I want to say sorry for our er coldness to you,"said Hermione, slightly shrilly and faltering. She quickly composed herself and stated more strongly, "However, we still don't agree with what you did to Ginny last night. We don't want to be your enemy but you cannot attack our friends." Her tone had slowly become stern and reproachful. Natalie was eerily reminded of Professor McGonagall. Ron carefully nodded along

Natalie paused to contemplate Hermione's words. Judging by the twinge of regret in Hermione's eyes and Ron's slightly red face, the apology at the very worst was partly genuine. Natalie presumed that neither was particularly comfortable in her presence nor had their prejudiced views of her been completely eradicated. She had called Ron's sister and Hermione's friend scum and then proceeded to send her hurtling across the room. Therefore, she conceded forcefully that they were somewhat justified in their distrust of her.

Natalie thought for a moment of what to say. She wanted to show her acceptance of the apology and her willingness to be on friendly terms with the other two but also that she too would not tolerate any nonsense. Choosing her words carefully, Natalie said, "Same goes here. I hope we are able to get along too. I lost control yesterday and I promise it won't happen again. But please don't judge me on what you've heard from misinformed sources."

Hermione looked relieved, smiling at Natalie for the first time. Ron too nodded at Natalie, still hesitantly but not unkindly.

"Harry, honestly, you should return that textbook. Not to mention that you're not doing your own work, strange books like that are not safe," scolded Hermione for the tenth time that evening.

"Hermione, you're just mad that someone finally nipped you in Potions," exclaimed Ron, earning him a furious glare from Hermione.

Natalie thought about Hermione's words. Hermione had a point but then again, that tip was extremely clever, not the same conniving or dubious dark magic she had seen at Durmstrang. She chose to speak. "Hermione, I was thinking about his instructions and that extra counter clockwise stir makes a lot of sense. If you look at the kinematics behind the potion, reversing the direction once a while actually improves the flow and viscosity of the overall mixture. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that this person's textbook is probably not some dark object. It's not anything like some of the things you'll see at Durmstrang."

Hermione stared at Natalie, a mixture of indignation and admiration in her eyes. Harry gave her a grateful look and even Ron had stopped dishing food to stare at her. Natalie looked down at her food. She should not have just made her own long, arrogant speech.

"That's a good point. Very clever," stated Hermione without a trace of bitterness in her voice. The sour note did return. "But still, you don't know who that person was."

"Yeah I guess," conceded Natalie. She did not feel like continuing the discussion. Anyway, she was still elated that now Hermione had taken the beginnings of a liking towards her.


	8. Unfamiliar Feelings

A/N: Thanks very much to everybody who reviewed and to the people who have put this story on alert or on their favourites list.

Thanks again to my sister for proofreading and editing this chapter.

I will be updating relatively quickly for the next week or so.

Disclaimer: Besides Natalie and Kalissa, I own zero percent of the Harry Potter wizarding world.

Chapter 8- Unfamiliar Feelings

The first weeks of school were going well. Extremely well by Natalie's standards. She had a good friend in Harry and somewhat friends in Ron and Hermione who were slowly beginning to warm up to her. She and Hermione were competing for top marks in all their classes; though Natalie felt she had the slighter edge because of the ability Kalissa had instilled in her to carefully analyze and take apart any problem.

Natalie had sent two letters to Kalissa, of which she received very lengthy responses. Kalissa was hiding in some extremely secretive location that Dumbledore had arranged. She still managed to keep up with all the news in the wizarding world as well as the Order's and Voldemort's latest plans. And of course judging by the number of exclamations in those letters, Kalissa had not lost her lively, energetic attitude.

There were still some things that troubled Natalie. Her name, that had generated much anger, shock and fear, now aroused suspicion, curiosity and jealousy. She had befriended Harry Potter, a celebrity in the school. Logically, Natalie found herself at the center of the school's gossip and rumors. Last year, Harry had said that almost the entire school had dismissed him as some sort of attention seeking maniac. So Natalie did not care much for her reputation in the school. She felt comfortable and relaxed; a position that seemed unattainable at the beginning of the summer.

"Quidditch is awfully popular this year," commented Harry at breakfast the morning of Quidditich tryouts. Natalie was not particularly fond of the sport but Hogwarts had a reputation for harnessing some of the most prodigious Quidditch talent so she would see.

"Oh come on, Harry," said Hermione, suddenly impatient. "It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting and frankly; you've never been more fanciable."

Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper while Natalie almost spat out her tea.

"Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and they all know you've fought him 4 times now and survived. You can even still see the marks on the back of your hand where Umbridge made you write with your blood…"

"You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look," interjected Ron, shaking back his sleeves.

"And it doesn't hurt that you've grown about a foot over the summer either," finished Hermione.

"I'm tall," said Ron inconsequentially.

Natalie smirked at Ron's blatant jealousy. In the last few weeks, Natalie could see that Ron and Hermione had definite sexual tension. But Hermione's very favourable description of Harry had evoked a wave of anxiety within Natalie's body. She could not stop shaking her legs.

Hermione turned to Natalie. "Natalie, you're the other girl here. Don't you agree that Harry's the one generating all this buzz and excitement?"

"Of course, he's very handsome and charming," blurted Natalie, almost in a defensive tone. Natalie blushed immensely and focused on stabbing her eggs. She did not know what had caused her to make such an awkward, unusual comment. Harry too turned a very deep red, keeping his head firmly focused on the ceiling. Hermione raised her eyebrows at the two of them while an oblivious and disgruntled Ron continued eating his food.

"What I meant to say is that Hermione's right. You are very fanciable, Harry this year, partly because of all the mystery regarding the Chosen One. But from what I've gathered the last few weeks, you've always generated some sort of emotion in this school. I guess, be grateful now that the fame is finally working for you," added Natalie hastily in a feeble attempt to correct her previous comment.

Hermione looked slightly appeased but still surveyed Natalie and Harry suspiciously.

As they walked down to the Quidditch grounds, Lavender Brown said hello to Ron in a much too friendly way. Seeing Ron jolted and rejuvenated by this greeting, Hermione proceeded to coldly walk ahead without bothering to wish Ron a good luck.

"Those two aren't that subtle, are they?" muttered Natalie to Harry.

Harry grinned. "Never have been. I'll see you later. Hope this doesn't take too long."

Natalie nodded. "Look's like half the school came to these tryouts. You got your work cut out, Harry."

As she watched the tryouts, Natalie reflected on the strange encounter this morning. Her excited, abrupt response to Hermione's depiction of Harry was certainly unexpected. Looking back, Natalie noticed several times in his presence where she appeared very flustered and childish. And she always blushed afterwards. Not the typical type of embarrassment, but more of a confusion that had somehow managed to ingrain itself in her subconscious. Having read many, many books and seen too many Muggle movies, one conclusion came to the forefront of her mind.

"Demelza is a very good flyer, isn't she?" remarked Hermione to Natalie, disrupting Natalie's thoughts. Natalie looked upwards to see the fifth year Gryffindor girl throwing a Quaffle into one of the hoops.

"Yeah," mumbled Natalie, still immersed in her own pool of thoughts. Could she possibly have a crush on Harry Potter? She was confident that she did not suffer from the same foolish infatuation that seemed to wash over the giggly and irrational girls in the school. Since she had met Harry, she had taken an intense but seemingly not romantic interest in him. Could this fascination possibly have its roots in some type of fondness?

Suddenly, Natalie noticed Hermione take out her wand. Cormac McLaggen, a hopeful for the spot of Gryffindor Keeper, was conducting his trial in front of them. "Hey, what are you doing?" asked Natalie worriedly.

"Didn't you hear what he said about Ginny and Ron?" said Hermione, pointing angrily at McLaggen.

Natalie did not know whether to laugh or appear worried. "Yeah, he made some nasty comments but you can't hex him. It's against the school rules and not to mention that he's at least 30 feet above the ground."

Hermione looked at McLaggen with a sly grin on her face. "Who said anything about hexing him?"

"What?"

Before Natalie could do anything, Hermione had silently confounded McLaggen. A blank, unreadable expression appeared on his face. Irritated and astonished as she was with Hermione, Natalie could not help but admire the girl's efficient spellwork.

"Hermione! You know how dangerous that is. If someone saw you…"

"Nobody did and you can't say that he didn't have it coming."

Natalie did not bother contesting the last remark. McLaggen completely missed the last shot taken on him. Ron was next. Despite his extremely neurotic state in the morning, Ron managed to keep his nerve and save all five shots. Natalie supposed since he and McLaggen were the only two going for Keeper that Ron had earned the position.

Hermione did too. Before Natalie could turn her head, Hermione was running down onto the pitch, her hands flying and a huge smile on her face. Natalie saw Lavender Brown walk off grumpily with her friends. Ron looked like a complete goofball, grinning at the rest of the team and at Hermione. Natalie shook her head, marveling at the almost unnecessary and turbulent complexity of Ron and Hermione's relationship.

After all the congratulations had been said and the tryouts finished, the other three wanted to pay Hagrid a visit. Natalie, though she and the Care of Magical Creatures Teacher had been on good terms throughout the summer, needed to head back and contemplate on these feelings for Harry.

"Er guys. Just remembered. I need to get a book from the library. It's an advanced Transfiguration book that I really want to read and it's always out. Anyway I saw Hagrid a lot during the summer. I'll meet up with you in supper." Natalie was partially telling the truth; she did want to read the book.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Geez you're almost as bad as Hermione."

"See you later," said Harry. Both Ron and Hermione nodded at her as well.

While she walked to the library, Natalie engulfed herself once again in her thorough self examination. With Harry, she felt at ease. They could joke, jest, talk about serious topics like Voldemort or merely random things like chocolate frogs or Dumbledore's oddities. She could not pretend that she did not enjoy his presence. He filled her with a burst of energy and anticipation. Whether that characterized romantic feelings, Natalie did not know. She always thought a crush to be an obsession with a person not like the fascination she held for Harry. She seemed to view him as a mysterious, unique stranger.

Yet, they were not intimate at all like he was with Ron and Hermione. So these feelings could not be well grounded or have any genuine strength. Their relationship was only a few weeks old. With a lurch, Natalie became aware that she had become guilty of the dramatic, self absorbed behavior that she detested in other girls. She knew she just would have to wait and see.

Natalie entered the library, walking to the secluded spot where her book was located. Once she turned a corner, she came across Ginny and her boyfriend embroiled in a passionate encounter. They were lying against one of the shelves, Ginny on Dean's lap, kissing intensely. Dean's buttons were undone and his hands were having a complete tour of Ginny's body.

"Oh no, sorry!" cried Natalie in a high pitched voice as she abruptly staggered backward.

Both immediately stopped and stood up. Ginny shot Natalie a malevolent look.

"Sorry. I didn't know- I wouldn't have- honestly, I needed a book…" spluttered Natalie apologetically, quite shocked.

"Mind your own business. Thought you'd come and scold us, did you?" said Ginny scathingly.

A layer of coolness enveloped Natalie. She could see that Ginny still bore an extremely strong grudge against her. There was no point for her to engage Ginny in any more of an argument. But Ginny's comments infuriated her.

"Honestly, I needed a book from this section… about Transfiguration," said Natalie weakly, looking away from the flushed looks on both of their faces and the disheveled states of their robes.

"Oh really, did you?" retorted Ginny sharply.

"Why else would I be in the library?" said Natalie defensively, lifting her eyes to meet Ginny's angry glare. "In fact, it's the two of you who shouldn't be doing this type of thing in the back corner of the library. I'm surprised Pince did not notice either of you."

"Listen, Ginny. Come on. Let's go," muttered Dean, glancing warily at Natalie.

Ginny stepped away from Dean's grip, looking even more furious. "I'm not falling for that innocent act-

"What innocent act?" interjected Natalie harshly, her temper rising.

Ginny scratched her chin in mock thought. "Wait, let me see. Surely you must have heard us when you were approaching and yet you still somehow managed to walk straight into us."

"My mind was pre-occupied," muttered Natalie, trying to keep a blush from appearing on her face.

"What a load of rubbish!" said Ginny vehemently.

Dean placed another hand on Ginny's arm. "Come on Ginny, ignore her."

Ginny pushed off Dean's hand once again, her entire face completely red. "No, Dean. Little Miss Malkae here thinks she can have a nice go at us with nobody watching."

"Oh yes," snapped Natalie, letting the sarcasm saturate her voice. "I so desperately want to resume our duel. I just can't wait to send another 'Aeronaugio' at you in the library of all places."

"Waiting to try some dark magic on me, aren't you?" sneered Ginny, moving closer to Natalie so their faces were only inches apart. "I bet your family taught you some very _useful_ spells over the summer."

Natalie, even though her heart pounded against her chest, tried to keep her voice cool and low. "Honestly, how thick is your head? I really do wonder at your logic. If Dumbledore and McGonagall are good friends with my mother, then in your view, I must be a future Death Eater. For the last time, get rid of any misconceptions," said Natalie, this time with only a trace of sarcasm. She added more seriously, "I don't actually enjoy fighting with you. So let's just come to a truce and move past it."

Ginny blinked disbelievingly. The blazing glare on her face did not disappear but Natalie thought she saw a slight frown flicker upon her face. "I'll believe you when I have some first hand proof. Come on Dean, we have better things to do."

Ginny latched onto Dean's arm and walked out of the library. Natalie, still trembling, tried to appease herself by opening the book she had been gripping tightly in her hand. Yet, she could not channel her attention towards the passage about modifying Vanishing spells. The unpleasant and very unsettling image of a triumphant Ginny pointing a wand directly at her with Harry behind Ginny, looking at Natalie coldly, dominated her mind. She let out a breath she did not know she was holding. Challenging Arithmancy problems would be the best suppressor of the emotional turbulence that was becoming increasingly chaotic within her.

She quickly walked to the table at the back of the library, away from any curious glares or smirks. To her satisfaction and surprise, the Arithmancy problems, though very frustrating, managed to divert her mind away from the red haired girl who had suddenly morphed into a dangerous enemy. She briefly thought that she should eat supper but the fight with Ginny had thoroughly extinguished her appetite. There was always the option of seeking out the house elves later for some snacks before she went to sleep.

Someone tapped her on her shoulders. Natalie jerked her entire body around, her hand around her wand and her mouth twisted into a snarl. She fully expected Ginny to return for another contentious argument. But to her surprise and pleasure, she saw Harry gazing at her worriedly.

"What's wrong? Bit jumpy, aren't you?"

Natalie regained her composure, running a hand through her hair to hide the blush on her face. "Sorry. I just get excited when I'm studying. So how was Hagrid?"

"A bit angry about how none of us took his classes. But we managed to cheer him up eventually by bashing Grubby-Plank."

Natalie smiled. "Where's the rest of the dynamic trio?"

"Prefect meeting. Lasts all night," said Harry in a bored way.

A rush of anticipation filled Natalie. She had an entire night alone with Harry.

"By the way, I know you're lying about studying making you so edgy. At supper, I overheard Ginny complaining to Dean about how you are er so rude and snobbish."

Natalie glared at him furiously. "What? I happened to let's say interrupt them in a very passionate moment. And I was very courteous to Ginny. But being her usual closed minded self, she said some nasty things to me which I couldn't but help return. So don't believe the load of waffle she's probably giving the rest of the Common Room."

Harry looked quite amused. "Calm down, will you? You're just like Hermione. I never said I believed Ginny. So a passionate moment, eh? Don't tell Ron that. He might just explode."

Natalie still was perturbed at the thought of Harry believing Ginny's comments. "I hope you do realize that I didn't start the fight. She just has to assume that I'm some sort of crazed Death Eater that is out to attack you."

"Don't worry. I know you didn't start the fight." Harry frowned. "But she isn't the type to keep a stereotype like that. I'm sure her little grudge against you will fade once she realizes your 'duel' in the common room was an accident. She is a good person, after all."

Natalie snorted. "Stop defending her, will you? It doesn't matter whether she is a good person deep down or at heart. She's behaving like how you would picture the typical Gryffindor. All brawn and no brains."

"Now, look who's making stereotypes. I wasn't defending her actions. I'm just saying her behavior is unexpected," said Harry defensively.

Natalie sighed. This entire discussion was exhausting her. She needed some friendly comfort and not another spat, especially with Harry. "I suppose you're right. But remember that I'm not trying to pick fights with anybody here."

Harry mockingly raised his eyebrows at her. "You, the person who sent Ginny Weasley hurtling across room on the first night of school, is not picking fights? If that's true, then I'm not Harry Potter."

Natalie playfully shoved him. "I'll start a fight with you if you don't get rid of that stupid smirk."

Harry sat down next to her. "So what are you doing?"

"Arithmancy."

Harry shook his head. "Just like Hermione. I suppose pleasure for you is trying to make your brain explode because of too much thinking."

Natalie gave him a kick under the table. "You should try it, you know, thinking? It might actually help you beat Voldemort."

Harry gave a large gasp of pain. "Bloody hell. That hurts. Who in the hell taught you to kick like that?"

"My mother. Hey, give that back!" exclaimed Natalie as Harry grabbed her Arithmancy textbook.

"You know, I never really understood the big deal about Arithmancy. Just maths for wizards," said Harry airily, holding the book away from a frantically reaching Natalie.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!" _hissed Natalie.

The book rose out of a surprised Harry's hand, hovering over his head.

"You wouldn't dare?" said Harry in amazement.

"Try me, Potter," said Natalie deviously.

"Oi! Madam Pince," gasped Harry, pointing towards the empty librarian desk.

"What?" asked Natalie in alarm. She was quite scared of the stern looking librarian. As she swiveled her head to look at the librarian's desk, Harry pulled the book out of midair and elbowed Natalie, causing her to slip and fall onto the floor.

"Potter and Miss Malkae, stop that foolish behavior at once. I'll have you two in detention for a week if you cannot control yourselves," hissed Madam Pince who had suddenly appeared behind them.

Natalie quickly lifted herself from the ground. She and Harry sat onto chairs, nodding at Pince. As the librarian snaked away, both exchanged amused glances with one another.

"I'm always amazed at how she manages to move so quietly," said Natalie, shaking her head in mock amazement.

"Bloody annoying, if you ask me. She could play Quidditch with those hawk like instincts," muttered Harry disdainfully.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. How was Quidditch tryouts?" asked Natalie curiously, wondering if Hermione had described to him about her parlaying of the Keeper position.

"You were there."

"I know. But quite a lot of people showed up. And that McLaggen was pretty nasty. Good for Ron that he got through."

"Definitely," said Harry, looking at her suspiciously.

"I mean, Hermione was getting quite nervous."

"You know about her Confundus charm." It was a statement, not a question.

Natalie grinned. "Pretty shocking that she would do it."

"I felt the same. But it's not like she's going to take points away from herself," said Harry snidely.

"I bet she already has."

Harry laughed. "Yeah. But you should have seen Ron. The entire time to Hagrid's hut, he was talking about his saves to her."

"Amazing that she doesn't notice, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, they are pretty thick around each other. You should have been here in fourth year."

"Why? What happened?" asked Natalie curiously.

"You know-Viktor Krum-the famous Quidditch star? He came to the school for the Triwizard Tournament and for the Yule Ball that year, he asked Hermione to be his partner."

"Wow! You serious? Well, what did she say?" asked a completely bewildered, but somewhat excited Natalie.

Harry nodded. "She said yes. Apparently, he had been working up the courage to ask her for a few weeks. Neither me or Ron knew about who her partner was until that day."

"Can see why she would want to keep it secret," remarked Natalie thoughtfully. "But then again, for Ron to see her with Viktor Krum of all people at the ball must have been quite a surprise."

Harry's smirk grew even bigger. "Shock is a better word. The entire time at the ball, he was watching her dance with Krum. They had a huge fight that night. He accused her of 'fraternizing the enemy' and she basically told him to ask her first next time and not as 'last resort'."

Natalie laughed. "Honestly, 'fraternizing with the enemy'? How lame can you get? But Hermione's comment must have really hit him hard."

Harry's smirk turned into a gradual frown. "I think it did. Since then, they've been slightly awkward and tense around one another. Been more awkward this year but they've also gotten closer."

"It will work out. I don't think any one of them will enjoy being with another person," stated Natalie confidently.

"So I gather fourth year was a pretty memorable year? I mean you being part of the tournament, Hermione being asked to the ball by Krum and Voldemort returning," asked Natalie tentatively. With Harry's reminiscence about the Triwizard Tournament, a sudden excitement spread through Natalie to learn more about his very notorious experiences that year. She did not want to seem overly curious for the fear of antagonizing him. Her last phrase, nevertheless, induced Harry to bow his head, his eyebrows to cringe and his face to regain that somber frown.

Harry smiled at her grimly. "I guess your mother has told you about my adventures. It was a pretty interesting year, fourth year. But so is every other year for me." His words contained the pressures and worries of more than one person.

An intense desire filled Natalie to wrap her hands around the obviously strained and wearisome person in front of her. Instead, she tried to twist his adventures into a positive experience. "Those adventures are pretty exciting. You should be proud to have defied Voldemort so many times."

Harry raised his eyebrow. "I thought you were against this entire 'Chosen One', 'Boy who Lived' thing."

"No, even though I do think they exaggerate when they say you are the only one who can defeat him, what you have done is incredible. Not even Dumbledore has probably angered or scared Voldemort as much."

Harry laughed. To Natalie's relief, his laugh had much more brightness and strength to it. "I don't think I can scare Voldemort that much."

Natalie shook her head in disbelief. "Oh come on Harry. You basically almost killed him when you were a baby. He must be terribly frightened that the same thing could happen again with you as a much more powerful, matured wizard."

Harry stared at her in amazement. "Natalie, he's not afraid of me. It's more that he wants to kill me like swatting a troublesome fly. Anyway, when I go against him, it's not like I'm determined to kill or defeat him. He wants to kill me and all I want to do is survive."

Natalie held Harry's gaze firmly. His modesty again seemed to make him even more endearing and fascinating to her. "Listen to me Harry. You've done great things. You may have been lucky but obviously your courage or 'your will to survive' is extremely strong. So just be proud of yourself instead of hating yourself for being Voldemort's enemy."

Harry appeared slightly mollified and astounded at being addressed in this assertive, stern manner. "Thanks. I do not hate myself by the way. I just do not like being the number one person on his list to kill. But I'm not unhappy about it either. It's something I have to deal with. He killed my parents and I would not have it any other way if I wasn't the one to finish him."

Natalie gazed at him in admiration. His previous shyness and bitterness had concealed this calm and resilient attitude. He truly did embody the ceaseless determination Dumbledore had first described to her. "That's quite brave. You deserve much more credit from me at the very least."

Harry's face went a bright red. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Natalie decided to switch the mood to a much more lighthearted, playful one. "So I guess I should be calling you the Chosen fly, from now on?"

Harry grinned with his familiar exuberance. "You know, the Chosen one jokes are losing their humour?"

"Only to you."

"Trust me. You need to become more creative."

"More creative? Ha! You're the one who cannot figure out a reverse spell without looking at my notes."

"That's not creativity. That's just studying. By the way, speaking of studying, I do need help with that essay on reverse spells for Transfiguration."

"Please go ask Hermione for that."

"Why? You're just as good."

"Please don't flatter me." Still, Natalie's face flushed at the compliment.

"Come on, Natalie. You're here right now. I would have to wait for Hermione till after their meeting, tear her away from Ron while at the same time, hoping that he already has not asked her for her essay."

"I'll give to you on the condition that next time, you learn to do your own work and get off that lazy arse."

"It's not lazy. Just stupid."

"I'll shove my wand up there if you don't stop with the stupid comments."

"Ok ok, just let me see the essay. No need to get so testy."

Natalie handed him her essay, shaking her head in a carefully designed imitation of Hermione.


	9. Natalie's Helping Hand

A/N: Thanks again to everybody who reviewed and to my sister for picking up on some huge grammar mistakes in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Except for Natalie and Kalissa, I own absolutely nothing of the Harry Potter wizarding world.

Chapter 9- Natalie's Helping Hand

"Where's Ron and Hermione?" asked Natalie, craning her head over the great masses of students streaming through the streets of Hogsmeade. Natalie had not expected for the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year to be so packed, especially with the rise in Death Eater attacks. She could barely shuffle her feet without bumping against someone's shoulders.

"Hermione went with those Ravenclaws to get a new quill. I think Ron went with her too. Don't know why- he doesn't need a quill," answered Harry who was standing right beside Natalie.

"Well, I'm sure he saw the looks Terry Boot was giving Hermione and er decided to _accompany_ her," said Natalie jokingly.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, definitely. Knowing Ron, if Boot even tries to touch Hermione, Ron might just hex him."

Natalie grinned. "I suppose Hermione wouldn't like that much. So do you want to go find them or go the Three Broomsticks. I think we've walked around enough today."

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. It's quite cold outside. Ron and Hermione will know where to find us anyway. Come on." With those words, Harry grabbed Natalie's arm and dragged her through the crowd and into the Three Broomsticks. Harry's touch sent a tingling of excitement down Natalie's spine. Unsettled by Harry's touch, Natalie let Harry lead her while her face became increasingly red, especially with the quizzical glances that were being cast her way.

Once they had ordered their drinks, both sat down at a table at the corner of the room. Natalie rather enjoyed the boisterous, lively and coercive atmosphere.

"Is it always this busy?" asked Natalie, eager to start a conversation and ease the awkwardness that had temporarily overcome her.

"Yeah, usually, people are excited to get out of Hogwarts for the first weekend. But I did think this year, with Voldemort gaining strength, less people would be coming out," said Harry, glancing around at all the groups that were gathered around the tavern.

"People probably just want to forget about the Death Eaters. All these attacks can be quite depressing," countered Natalie reasonably.

Harry frowned. A slightly indignant expression crossed his face. "But you can't hide from the truth. It didn't work last year for them."

Natalie sighed. "It's hard to explain. People accept the truth, but they also want to be able to think that they can carry on their day to day lives."

"I suppose you're right. So did you come here often in the summer?" asked Harry. Natalie sensed that Voldemort was not his favourite topic of conversation.

"Mostly. Also went to the Hog's Head a few times. Bit of a dodgy place. Some really unusual characters."

Harry smiled. "I remember last year when we were organizing the D.A., we had our first meeting there. Hermione thought it would be the least _suspicious_ place."

"With all the weirdos that go to that pub, it wouldn't have been that wise to hold an 'illegal defensive organization' meeting there," remarked Natalie slyly.

"Yeah. Especially when it's 'illegal'. Turns out that one of the Order had actually disguised himself and listened in on the meeting."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "The Order really does look after you, don't they?" said Natalie mockingly.

"They do keep an annoying watch. Last year, they had an entire network just to keep track of me," muttered Harry darkly.

"And you still managed to put yourself in mortal peril. Tut-tut. Nothing keeps the Chosen One locked up," quipped Natalie.

Harry's lips twitched. "That's right, Miss Malkae. The Boy who Lived always finds some adventure."

"Here comes Ron and Hermione," commented Natalie, nodding at the doorway. To Natalie's amusement, both looked rather pink in the face and seemed to be making a concerted effort to avoid eye contact.

"Looks like something happened. Either had a fight or one of those awkward moments they've been having these days," remarked Harry dryly, turning around to wave at the two of them.

"I say the latter, judging by those blushes," said Natalie.

When Ron and Hermione had joined them, Natalie asked with a hint of sarcasm, "So what happened to you two?"

"Nothing. Ron just thought that he would shove Terry Boot for clapping my back after I had performed a heating charm on him," murmured Hermione irritably, shooting an annoyed glance at Ron.

Natalie had to purse her lips to prevent a smirk from forming.

"He didn't just clap your back, he smacked it. He could have broken it," muttered Ron, keeping his gaze locked on the surface of the table.

"Ronald, please explain to me as to why Terry Boot would want to break my back," said Hermione sharply. Despite the stern tone, her expression bore a combination of exasperation and amusement.

"Come on, you two. Can we just talk without either one of you biting each other's head off?" said Harry, catching Natalie's eye and grinning. Natalie mouthed "I told you".

Ron and Hermione remained silent until Hermione stated with forced curiosity, "What did you two do after we left?"

"Nothing much. Just came here. Harry was telling me about your D.A. meeting at the Hog's Head."

The subject seemed to bring Ron and Hermione out of their angry, brooding moods. Both went into avid descriptions of that meeting with Ron making sure to reiterate that Zacharias Smith was an ugly git.

Once they had left the Three Broomsticks in much better spirits and started to walk back to the castle, they came upon the Gryffindor chaser, Katie Bell, and her friend, Leanne. The two girls were having an argument about some package in Katie's hands. Leanne tried to take the package away from Katie who moved away, causing the package to fall to the ground. Immediately, Katie rose into the air, gracefully and serenely, her arms outstretched as though she were about to fly. Something was wrong, eerie. Her eyes were closed and her face was empty of any emotion. Leanne was screaming. Ron, Hermione, Natalie and Harry momentarily stared at Katie in numb shock.

At once, Natalie recognized what was wrong. The package must have been some dark object that had injected its curse into Katie, paralyzing her system. She knew what to do, but the situation seemed too absurd. Why on earth would such a dark object be in Hogsmeade of all places and in the hands of a Gryffindor? After a few seconds, Natalie managed to detach herself from the shock and raise her wand. Hermione had already ran to Leanne and pulled her away from the ascending Katie

"What are you doing?" cried Harry.

"I know what's wrong. Go get somebody," said Natalie, her voice quivering.

"What if you hurt her?" shouted Harry.

"I need to carry out this spell or she'll be in a lot worse state. Just go get Hagrid or somebody. Hurry. Please trust me," asserted Natalie, this time, her voice much firmer.

Harry looked from Natalie to Katie and sighed. "Come on, Ron!" he shouted.

Ron, who had been staring at Katie with a blank expression, was aroused from his shock. He nodded and they both ran to Hagrid's hut.

Natalie took a deep breath, focused on the spell at hand and with a swoosh of her wand, she screamed, "_ALLEVIATESUM!_"

A stream of blue light shot out of her wand and hit Katie straight in the chest with a deep, reverberating gong. Katie fell to the ground unconscious. Both Hermione and Leanne rushed to her.

"You know how to do a reversible spell for a dark curse like that?" exclaimed Hermione.

"One of the few advantages of going to Durmstrang I guess," muttered Natalie, placing a hand across her head. She felt slightly dizzy, an expected symptom after such a powerful spell. The fuzziness would dissipate after a few minutes.

Harry and Ron were running back, Hagrid alongside.

"What on earth happen'd here?" shouted Hagrid.

"What did you do to her? Is she still-" asked Ron.

Natalie glared at him. "Of course she's still alive. To answer your question Hagrid, that package over there infected Katie with some dark magic. I think I was able to er neutralize the Dark magic by hitting her with a spell that jerked her out of her paralyzed state; the Dark magic's still in her system but it won't be affecting her. Katie's unconscious – she'll probably be out for a day."

Harry nodded. "Let's get her to the castle. We'll need to talk to McGonagall."

With Hagrid's help, they brought Katie to McGonagall. Harry and Leanne gave McGonagall a brief summary of the incident. Leanne was taken to the hospital wing, still traumatized by the incident. Apparently, Katie had received the package within the Three Broomsticks.

McGonagall surveyed the four of them over her spectacles. "The Headmaster is out on business. I will of course alert him. Thank you to all four of you for being so astute and for saving Miss Bell's life. 50 points to Gryffindor and 20 extra points for the extremely powerful countercurse you managed to perform, Miss Malkae. It could have gone horribly wrong for Miss Bell, however, had you not carried out the spell properly."

Natalie glanced down at her shoes. It was an extremely reckless thing to do. She shuddered at Katie's state if her countercurse had not offset the Dark magic.

"Now, do any of you have any idea as to where Miss Bell would have received such a dark object?"

Natalie found herself speaking. "Well, Katie's friend says Katie got the package from the Three Broomsticks. It looked to be an exceptionally dangerous Dark object – even in Durmstrang, they warn us to keep away from such things. So that basically rules out students. Either someone in the village, possibly a dark wizard in disguise, tricked Katie into taking the object or used the Imperius curse to get somebody Katie knew to give her the package."

Hermione spoke as well. "I agree - that seems pretty much correct. I think someone gave Katie the object under the Imperius curse. Katie's pretty smart and she wouldn't have taken a package from a stranger. But of course, we don't know if the package was meant for Katie," stated Hermione matter of factly.

"You guys are forgetting about something," blurted Harry. He looked at Professor McGonagall nervously.

"What Potter?" asked McGonagall, sharply.

Natalie knew he was going to bring up his theory about Draco Malfoy. Apparently, Ron and Hermione sensed the change in subject as they both shook their heads at Harry. "Well, Professor, I think Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater and he might have given Katie the package."

McGonagall frowned at Harry. "What causes you to make such an accusation?"

"During the summer, we heard him talking in Borgin and Burkes about his Death Eater friends and on the train, I heard him say that he had been given the Dark Mark. Not to mention that his family has an entire storage of Dark objects. He could have just taken one from his house and given it to Katie."

McGonagall raised her eyes at Harry. "Though the Malfoys are associated with Death Eaters, Mr. Malfoy seems far too young to take on the Dark Mark. Anyway, he was serving detention with me this afternoon so there is no way that he could have given Miss Bell that package."

Harry gaped at her "But Professor…" mumbled Harry, searching for a reason to brand Malfoy as a Death Eater. "He could have told one of his friends to give someone in Hogsmeade the package."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on, Harry. Why would Malfoy devise such a foolish plan? With so many people in Hogsmeade, and with Crabbe and Goyle delivering it, that package could easily end in the wrong hands. Anyway when we saw him in Knockturn Alley, remember I went into the store and Borgin said that he had not bought anything."

"Well you were being really obvious. So obviously he wouldn't tell you anything," interjected Ron.

"I never saw you offer to go in and talk to Borgin," retorted Hermione. Natalie sighed. She had never met two people who at any moment, could find themselves in an intense argument.

"No one asked you to. You just wanted to show off!"

McGonagall tapped her fingers on her desk. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. Please calm down. Mr. Potter, I see the merit behind your theory, but you simply cannot go around, making these absurd accusations against other students in the school. I will tell the Headmaster and he will have this entire business sorted out. Now go off, you four and please keep our discussion to yourselves. I urge all of you, especially you, Potter, to not become too involved in what happened today"

For the rest of the evening, the four continued their intense discussion about the day's events. Harry still maintained his conviction that Malfoy had someone bring the package to Hogsmeade. Ron and Hermione remained skeptical, arguing that Malfoy was too young to be a Death Eater. Natalie, however, felt the lingering effects of the shock. The incident had increased her feeling of vulnerability and exposure. It had also brought her thoughts back to her mother, reminding her of the danger she and Kalissa were in.

Harry, who had been frequently glancing at her, asked worriedly, "Why are you so quiet today, Natalie? Of all of us, you should be the most proud. That magic was bloody brilliant. Katie might have been dead."

Natalie blushed. "It's just that – well, you all seem so excited and unbothered. Someone almost died today and we're at school! Things like this don't happen everyday."

Ron laughed. "Welcome to our world, Natalie. This is the last five years for us."

Both Harry and Hermione glared at him. "Honestly, Ron, you cannot laugh about what happened to Katie today," scolded Hermione. She turned to Natalie, her face resolute and calm. "What Ron means is that things like this aren't really unexpected, especially with the rise of the Death Eaters. In Durmstrang, you probably don't hear much about Voldemort. But here, people are scared because attacks like that do happen."

"Natalie, what Ron meant was: Welcome to my life. When Voldemort's after you, things like this happen often," muttered Harry darkly.

Ron smiled tentatively this time while Hermione frowned.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't mean it that way Harry. I've just never been exposed to really evil wizards and Dark magic. At Durmstrang, they show us Dark Magic but not in any conniving, cruel context."

Ron gazed at her in surprise. "I don't see why you're so worried. After seeing what you did to Ginny and to Katie today, I wouldn't want to be a Dark wizard facing you." Hermione nodded along, looking at Natalie in admiration.

Natalie's face flushed. This had to be the first time both Ron and Hermione had complimented her. "Thanks, but that was mostly luck. If that curse had gone wrong, I might be looking at Az…khaban – that's the wizard prison here, right?"

Hermione yawned. "Stop demeaning yourself. I think I'm going to bed. It's been a long day."

Ron stretched his arms, briefly extending them to touch Hermione's shoulders, causing Hermione to blush a deep pink. "Yeah same. Need the sleep. Coming up, Harry?"

Harry looked at Natalie. "I think Natalie and I will finish our chess game. It will be only a couple minutes before I have her in check mate." He grinned at her.

Hermione gave them a significant look. "Well, then see you two tomorrow."

Ron said good night as well and followed her up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Turning her attention to Harry, Natalie noticed that a dark, agitated look had crept into his eyes. Natalie almost laughed. She couldn't believe that he had blamed himself for today's attack. To describe him as self-deprecating would be an understatement.

"Come on Harry. You had nothing to do with what happened to Katie," said Natalie soothingly.

"Haven't you been listening to what Hermione said? She couldn't have been the target. Who else would it be? And to think that Katie almost died because someone else had wanted me dead," said Harry in a slow, painful voice.

Natalie felt an instant urge to put her arms around him. His vulnerability and helplessness was very endearing. But she quickly quelled that urge. She knew that a firm, assertive tone would likely bring him back to his senses.

"Honestly, Harry, do you really think that everything today was a plot to kill you? Well then, your logic is quite flawed, even for the _Chosen One_. Let's see. First of all, we don't know if a Death Eater actually gave Katie the object. Ron and Hermione are just speculating. It could have easily been an accident. Even if it was a Death Eater, the attack may have been just an attempt to scare the school. Or maybe Dumbledore or McGonagall or even some teacher with enemies was the target. So Harry, don't assume that you're the center of attention until we have proof," stated Natalie flatly with her lips twitching on the last statement.

Harry grinned at her. To Natalie's relief, the agonizing pain in his eyes had evaporated. "You really know how to cheer a person, don't you?"

"Anything for the Chosen One," retorted Natalie.

"Definitely. Let's finish this chess game, shall we?"

"Why? You were going to lose anyway. I need to play Ron to arouse my concentration."

As they played, Harry said, "I just hope Dumbledore gets to the bottom of this mess."

"Well, you can ask him during your secret meetings, can't you?" asked Natalie curiously. She very much wanted to know the topics of discussion during these meetings. She presumed that he had confided in Ron and Hermione, not her. While his lack of openness with her bothered her, she knew that if these meetings were indeed very important, then he had ample reason to not disclose to her anything about the lessons. After all, they only knew each other for two months. Still, with the romantic feelings that were growing within her for him, his secrecy had been a deadly blow.

Harry sighed. "I suppose you want to know about our 'lessons'."

"I can't pretend that it wouldn't be nice. You and arguably the greatest wizard of all time have some sort of secret correspondence. Please don't tell me that that is not intriguing."

Harry's eyes twinkled. "Do I sense a bit of resentment there? I suppose you want to be the Chosen One as well."

Natalie snorted. She conceded that Dumbledore's contact with Harry had annoyed her slightly. "Of course. But seriously Harry, what do you two talk about?"

Harry considered her for a moment. Natalie rolled her eyes. If he did not tell her, she feared she would not be able to suppress her frustration. "You can't tell anyone about this, ok?"

"Who would I tell? Nobody else here talks to me," said Natalie scathingly. Nevertheless, she nodded.

A smug look crossed Harry's face. "After today, a lot more people will want to be your friend."

"So what instructions is the Boy who Lived receiving?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "Well, he's showing me Voldemort's past, you know as Tom Riddle. From his birth to his childhood to his adulthood. He's trying to show me Riddle's weakness. You know selfishness, greed, desire for power, no desire for love. It's fascinating, but it seems a bit excessive to me, though."

Natalie looked at him contemplatively. "It makes a lot of sense. Dumbledore obviously has figured out Voldemort and he thinks you can exploit the weakness he sees. Anyway, did you really expect that he'd teach you advanced dark magic? No offense Harry, but that would be kind of useless. There's no way you'd be able to defeat Voldemort, purely through magic."

Harry frowned at her. "Hermione said the same thing. Dumbledore's always going on about how I can love and Voldemort can't so I somehow have an advantage. I don't see why we're actually analyzing his entire life, though."

Natalie thought this was the moment to tell him about Kalissa. "Harry, you know my mother, Kalissa? Well, she went to school with Voldemort or Tom Riddle."

Harry gaped at her. "Really? They were in the same year. I never thought about how it would to be his classmate."

"Yeah, she was in the same year. Gryffindor though. McGonagall was there too. She and my mother were best friends – that's why McGonagall's so nice to me."

"That makes sense. McGonagall's around the same age as Voldemort. So what did your mum think about Voldemort?" asked Harry eagerly.

"Well, she said that he was one of the most popular kids at school – handsome, charming and extremely intelligent. But she never liked him that much – she thought there was always something odd about him."

"That's what Dumbledore thought too," said Harry approvingly.

"My mom said that after about their fourth year, a lot of nasty things went on at the school. Student attacks, portraits vandalized, corridors messed and of course, the Chamber of Secrets. At the same time, Riddle had assembled almost like a gang of all the snobbish, thuggish Slytherins around him. My mother and her friends suspected that he had something to do with all these events. But nothing ever got linked to him."

Harry shook his head in frustration. "You would think that some of the teachers would put two and two together."

Natalie nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. But he was like this icon of hard work, honesty and elegance in the school so all the teachers except Dumbledore did not consider that he may be a culprit. And of course, he was a half blood orphan so there was natural sympathy for him."

"Did your mother and her friends try to oppose him?"

Natalie was slightly taken aback at the change in direction. She continued though. "Sort of. When Hagrid was expelled for opening of Chamber of Secrets, my mom stood up for Hagrid and said Riddle was wrong. She actually confronted Riddle and told him that Dumbledore saw right through him."

"Wow. What did Riddle do to her?"

"Nothing. He avoided her. My mom says he didn't hurt her because Dumbledore would have known it was him, but I think he was afraid of her. Ever since then, she's been working against him," said Natalie, her voice filled with pride.

Harry looked positively awestruck. "Amazing. That's so brave. I can't imagine anybody who could scare Voldemort. You're lucky to have a mother like that."

Instantaneously, a wave of regret and bitterness overcame Natalie. She lowered her head, staring sullenly at the chess pieces. Natalie knew that Harry's last phrase did not apply to her at all. She felt guilty for lying about the identity of her mother. The familiar shame about her actual mother manifested itself, creating an agonizingly, sour heaviness at the bottom of her stomach. She was not at all lucky, even in the most twisted and distorted sense, to have the mother she had.

"What's wrong?" said Harry concernedly, leaning closer to her.

"Nothing. Just miss Kalissa," mumbled Natalie, in a half hearted attempt to cover her self pity.

Harry did not look convinced. Suddenly, he reached over, gently pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. Electricity pulsed through Natalie's body. Her anger and self loathing had quickly disappeared. To her own shock and Harry's surprise, she gripped his hand tightly. Their eyes bore into one another, their faces a few inches apart.

Natalie's usual calculating and careful mindset had been replaced by an intense, almost maniacal desire to savour Harry's presence. She marveled at the depth and strength contained within his eyes. It was as if his entire life, all the pain, happiness, determination had been painted into an indelible image of dark green. He gave off a very fresh, earthly, but light odor that aligned perfectly with his ambiguous nature: an unique reputation and yet a shy, relaxed personality. The touch of his rough, warm hands soothed her, injecting her with a burst of excitement. She wondered what would happen if she moved in closer.

She lowered her elbow slightly, knocking off one of the chess pieces. Harry quickly pulled away, his face a deep red. Natalie inwardly scolded herself for being so clumsy. She realized that she had also blushed immensely.

"Sorry about that," mumbled Harry, looking away from her.

"No, it's fine. I liked it," said Natalie quietly. The comment had been completely against her own will. She hoped he did not interpret the "it" too narrowly.

Harry smiled at her. Natalie's spirits lifted considerably.

"Good night," mumbled Harry as he picked up his bag and walked up to his dormitories.

"You too," whispered Natalie after him.

Sitting on the coach, Natalie reflected on the interaction. She was still quite embarrassed. Before this moment, she had managed to control her feelings for him. When he complimented her or merely smiled at her, she was able to ignore the slight tingling he sent throughout her body and continue with the conversation. But now, he was likely aware of her attitude towards him. She hoped that the encounter would not create any tension or awkwardness between them. But then again, Natalie remembered that he had initiated the moment. He had touched her hair. The very thought filled her with pleasure and hope. Touching hair was not an action of a friend. It was slightly more sensual, more intimate. One of those actions that designates a crossing over, a transformation. Natalie shook her head. There was absolutely no reason for her to inflame her hopes. He had been very tired. Not to mention that he was worried about her. To her disappointment, she concluded that she would have to wait and assess his behavior with her after today.


	10. A Plan Gone Awry

A/N: Thanks again to all the reviewers as well as those who put this story on their favourites list and alerts. As usual, my sister proofread the chapter so there should be hopefully no grammar mistakes.

Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own zero percent of the wizarding world.

Chapter 10- A Plan Gone Awry

"Ron, there's no need to worry. It's not like you have Death Eaters chasing you," repeated Natalie for about the tenth time that morning.

Ron grunted, still staring at his eggs with a blank, unreadable expression on his face.

Natalie sighed. It was the morning of the first Quidditch match of the year: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The tense but thrilling anticipation that had accompanied this match had taken Natalie by surprise. In Durmstrang, the sport was regarded as more of an activity to justify refinement and sophistication. Here, the entire castle seemed to have immersed itself into the extremely competitive, almost nasty and greatly dividing fervor of the match and especially the Gryffindor – Slytherin rivalry. Natalie thought, with a smirk, that this type of atmosphere was likely not compatible with Ron's very edgy nerves.

Suddenly, Harry pulled out of his bag his bottle of Felix Felicis. He had confided in Natalie about his "plan" to quell Ron's anxieties and simultaneously, ease the tensions that had crept into Ron and Hermione's relationship. Natalie had scoffed at the plan. She did not think lying could inspire somebody nor did she see any merit in Harry's vision of Ron and Hermione coming together after a supposed Gryffindor victory. For at least a week, they had become extremely cold with one another. Natalie suspected that their problems had a deeper root.

"Harry, no, you can't!" exclaimed Hermione frantically. Natalie presumed that Hermione had remained ignorant to Harry's plan. Quite foolish on Harry's part. It would take nothing short of a miracle to curb Hermione's disapproval.

"I don't see anything wrong here, Hermione," said Harry slyly. He then pretended to spill a few drops of the potion into Ron's pumpkin juice while Ron continued to stare at his food.

"Drink this Ron," ordered Harry cheerfully. Hermione glared at Harry. She looked pleadingly at Natalie who merely shrugged.

"Don't drink it Ron!" begged Hermione.

An annoyed, cold expression covered Ron's face. He shot Hermione a malicious look and then proceeded to take a large gulp of the juice. Then, upon seeing the bottle of Felix Felicis, comprehension dawned on his face. He gave Harry a look that bordered between indignation and excitement.

"Harry, that is absolutely wrong!" shrieked Hermione.

"Lay off Hermione. It's none of your business," remarked Ron icily.

Hermione stared at him, infuriated. After giving Harry one last dirty glare, Hermione stamped off from the table. Natalie felt a pang of sympathy of her. She could only imagine the emotional rises and falls she would experience if Harry had Ron's mood swings.

Ron turned to look at Harry. "You didn't just put that in my juice," said Ron, pointing at the potion.

"I might have," replied Harry, a sparkle in his eyes. Ron continued to look more perplexed. But to Natalie's surprise, his shoulders straightened and his face seemed to relax slightly.

Harry winked at Natalie. As he reached for a slice of toast, his hands brushed Natalie. The familiar jolt of electricity rushed up her spine. She noticed that Harry had blushed. He retracted his hand quickly, not even taking the toast. Ron, too concerned with his juice, remained oblivious.

Ever since the evening two weeks ago where they had shared that brief moment of intimacy by the fireplace, Natalie had become increasingly aware of the occasional awkwardness in her interactions with Harry. The banter did not cease nor did their jesting. It was just the periodic brushing of shoulders, slight touches of hands, bumps with legs that sent them both into embarrassing lapses of silence. To Natalie's pleasure, these encounters seemed to show that Harry may harbor some sort of romantic feelings for her. To her own resentment, she found herself obsessively analyzing their interactions. She would either reach an indeterminate conclusion that frustrated her immensely or a hopeful dream that only made her angrier at her own naivety.

"You guys going down to the match, now? I don't think Ron will even touch his eggs," said Natalie casually, ignoring their blushes only seconds before.

"Yeah, probably. Need to get some last minute tactics sorted out," said Harry, equally as off handed.

They headed down to the stadium. Natalie could almost taste the buzz in the air. People all around were chatting animatedly. Not to mention the many girls that could not stop gawking at Harry. However, there were far fewer malevolent or even suspicious looks sent in Natalie's direction. Since the story had spread that Natalie had saved Katie Bell's life, her reputation had taken a sharp turn upwards. The Slytherins detested her even more, but from the other three houses, she had received many compliments and warm greetings; things that were foreign to Natalie at Durmstrang.

"Well, we'll see you," said Harry as he and Ron started to head off to the changing rooms.

Without even trying to restrain herself, Natalie squeezed his arm. "Good luck, Harry," she said softly.

Harry looked slightly flustered but pleased. "Thanks," croaked Harry, his voice barely audible. He smiled at her.

As she found Hermione in the stands and watched the match, Natalie's spirits were soaring. Her heart was pounding. Excitement forming bubbles in her chest. She marveled at how a simple curve of the lips could induce such an intense emotional response within her.

The match turned out to be quite entertaining. To Natalie's pleasure, Ron was playing extremely well, blocking almost all shots against him. It was even more satisfying to see the stunned surprise that had washed over the Slytherin end of the stadium.

As Ron made another spectacular dive, Hermione clicked her tongue. She had been fidgeting the entire match. Natalie, already annoyed, turned to her.

"What's wrong? You've been jumpy since Ron made his first save."

"I don't like what Harry did at all. That stupid potion has Ron making all these brilliant saves. It's just so wrong, twisting fate for a Quidditch match," scowled Hermione.

Natalie laughed, causing Hermione to look at her in astonishment and frustration. "Hermione, Harry didn't tell you, did he? He never poured any droplets of potion into Ron's juice. He _only pretended to, _to give Ron some confidence. Ron's good play is because of him, not the potion. Honestly, did you think Harry would take such a big risk for a small thing like this?"

Hermione let out a small gasp. "You're joking!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Why would I be? Tell me, did you actually see Harry pour the potion into the juice? He covered it with his hands. It was very well feigned, if I have to say."

The apprehension and anxiety on Hermione's face disappeared. She appeared very relieved. "Well, then that's good, I never thought Harry would do that," stammered Hermione.

She placed her hands over her face. "Ron must really hate me! He probably thinks I don't believe he can play Quidditch well," groaned Hermione.

Natalie had to stop herself from chuckling. "Don't worry, he'll forgive you after-"

"Oh my! Look at Harry and Malfoy!" gasped Hermione.

Natalie jerked her head to see the two seekers zooming at an excessively high speed and at a very sharp angle towards the goalpost. Her stomach took a dive. If something went wrong, Harry would be hurt very badly – But suddenly, he pulled out of the maneuver, victorious with the Snitch in his hand.

Natalie let out a huge breath she did not know she was containing. "That was so dangerous! He's extremely lucky to not be injured, let alone alive," cried Natalie over the extremely loud roars emanating from the Gryffindors.

This time, it was Hermione's turn to laugh. "I know, but it's Quidditch and it's Harry. He does have a nasty taste for the dramatic."

As they walked out of the stadium, Natalie noticed Hermione glancing uncertainly at the Gryffindor changing rooms.

Natalie decided to make the decision for her. "Listen Hermione, I need to go to send a letter to my mother. Go meet up with Ron and Harry. Tell them congrats and that I'll see them later."

Hermione nodded, still staring at the changing rooms with a wistful but almost scared expression. "Maybe I should come with you. I do need to ask Flitwick some questions," she said tentatively.

Natalie sighed. "Do you really need to ask Flitwick questions? It's a Saturday. Enjoy the festivities. From what Harry's said, you guys know how to have a good time. And you do need to talk to Ron. Whatever you two are fighting about is needless and childish." Natalie added a stern tone to the last few words.

Hermione looked at Natalie in surprise. Natalie continued to glare at her with a determined ferocity. "I suppose you're right," conceded Hermione, her lips forming into a smile.

Natalie grinned at her and walked back to the castle. She had not lied to Hermione. She needed to send her letter to Kalissa. With the school embroiled in the post match celebrations , she would be able to meet McGonagall and give her the letter without arousing too much suspicion. When McGonagall was not in her office, Natalie placed the letter in the drawer reserved for the "Malkae" items.

However, when she returned to Gryffindor common room, she saw that only part of Harry's plan had materialized. The sight in front of her both disgusted her and shocked her. Ron seemed to have every square inch of his body pressed tightly against Lavender Brown. Not to mention that his mouth was literally swallowing her face. Natalie gave a shudder and immediately set out to find Harry. She needed to know what went wrong.

She spotted Harry conversing with an animated Ginny in the corner. Natalie shook rather violently. Ginny was standing far too close to Harry for Natalie's liking. Natalie had to restrain herself from stomping over there and pointing her wand at Ginny's chest.

Before Natalie could entertain such a course of action, Harry waved over to her and started to walk towards her. Ginny looked quite disgruntled. She shot Natalie a venomous look before latching onto her boyfriend. Natalie could not help but smirk back.

"Congratulations on the game. That catch was brilliant, a bit lucky though," remarked Natalie, trying to ignore the scene unfolding itself in front of her.

"Yeah. It was incredibly lucky. But shit. I don't believe this at all. I've never seen Ron do anything well like you know," spluttered Harry, staring at Ron and Lavender, aghast

"He really can be a git, can't he? Where's Hermione? She must be traumatized," muttered Natalie, looking around the room.

"Don't know. But never thought something like this would happen," said Harry irritably.

Just then, Natalie saw a mane of brown hair leave through the portrait hole. Harry seemed to see as well. He nodded at her. Together, they exited the common room and found Hermione crying in an empty classroom. In the few seconds that she had left the common room, she had somehow managed to conjure a ring of birds above her head. Natalie shook her head in amazement.

Before either Natalie or Harry could say anything, Hermione spoke. "Hi, you two. Ron certainly does seem to be enjoying himself, doesn't he?" said Hermione in an extremely false and empty voice.

Judging by the blank look on Harry's face, Natalie presumed that he was at a complete loss for words. Natalie herself could not stop staring at Hermione. She had expected an angry outburst or at the very least, some display of sadness. But denial? It did not fit Natalie's perception of the girl.

Suddenly, Ron, Lavender alongside, stumbled into the classroom, ending the piercing silence that had stretched between the three. Upon seeing the other three, Lavender giggled and left the room to wait for Ron. Ron glanced at Hermione with a confused and scared expression on his face. Natalie finally came to her senses. Fury filled her at his completely selfish and insensitive behavior towards a girl who clearly cared about him more than anybody else.

"Get out, will you? You've already done enough this evening, as it is," said Natalie angrily.

"It's fine, Natalie. Ron, you should go to your girlfriend," said Hermione quietly. She began to walk out of the classroom.

A relieved look crossed Ron's face. He began to grin at Harry.

"_Oppugno!" shrieked Hermione._

An entire flock of birds were sent hurtling at Ron. Both Harry and Natalie immediately turned around to see Hermione running through the door.

As Harry helped Ron fend off the birds, Natalie caught Harry's eye. She pointed off to Hermione. Harry nodded, giving her a grateful look.

Natalie supposed that Hermione, seeking some isolation, would return to their dormitories. The party was still in full flight so it was unlikely that any other girls would have gone up to sleep. Once she reached their room, Natalie saw Hermione sobbing softly under the blankets on her bed. Too traumatized, she had not bothered to close the curtains.

Natalie hovered uncertainly at the doorway. With an absence of friends at Durmstrang, she had never encountered a situation like this one. She considered her options. Physical comfort could become quite uncomfortable. Also Hermione, depending on the severity of her rage, might not want any sympathy or reassurance. On the other hand, leaving Hermione alone and joining the rest of the festivities would be cruel and inconsiderate. Natalie sighed. She decided for the former. Anyway, Kalissa would have definitely taken that route.

Natalie cautiously walked over to Hermione. She gently placed her arms around the girl, taking a seat on Hermione's bed. Hermione looked up in surprise at Natalie. But she did not object to Natalie's touch. Rather, she seemed to lean closer to Natalie.

Natalie chose her words carefully. She judged that the classic phrase of sympathy would seem superficial and false. Humour might do the trick. "Well, today didn't go so well, I guess. Ron's a complete idiot, isn't he? It was like two animals going at each other. I though we'd went right back to the Neanderthal era," said Natalie sarcastically.

Hermione let out a small chuckle. She pressed her head across Natalie's chest. For at least half an hour, they sat in that same position. Hermione steadily breathing into Natalie's chest while Natalie stroked her back soothingly.

Hermione finally detached herself from Natalie. "Thanks. You're a good friend, Natalie," whispered Hermione. Her eyes were still red but they seemed to have regained a resolved glint with her words.

Natalie gave Hermione a tiny smile and then went to her bed and lay down. She wondered at what point her relationship with Hermione had changed.

But then she realized, there was no point, just like with Harry. A series of events had led to today. For the first time, she saw that respect, comfort and then trust accumulates in minor steps. Like a potion that is continually modified, tweaked and refined. But the end result is worth the initial tension. For Hermione had actually referred to her as a good friend. She seemed to forget her name or her attack on Ginny.

Natalie began to see a new avenue for her outlook on life. She did not need to isolate herself. She could trust others to see through her own background, her flaws and taints.


	11. The Room of Requirement

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! And to my sister for undergoing the very arduous task of proofreading this long chapter.

This chapter is about 11 000 words so it's much longer than the previous chapters (3000-6000 words). I wanted to really explore the interaction between Natalie and Harry though later chapters will be just as long.

Chapter 11- The Room of Requirement

Natalie sighed as Hermione rushed frantically out of the Great Hall. A few seats away from Harry and her, Lavender was making a spectacle of feeding Ron chocolate cake from her fork, cooing and kissing him in between bites.

"Bloody disgusting," muttered Natalie, glaring at Ron and Lavender. Many other students at the Gryffindor table were also shooting the couple very annoyed and exasperated looks.

Since the Quidditch match two weeks ago, Ron and Lavender's desire to remain connected at the lips had never wavered. Seemingly every free moment outside of their teachers' eyes, whether in the middle of the Gryffindor common room or behind students in the Great Hall, the couple appeared to make it an obligation to have their faces plastered together.

Watching Hermione's retreating form, Natalie could not help but worry. Hermione gave off the pretence of treating the couple with the utmost scorn and disdain, but whenever they kissed, a hurt expression flickered over her features before she composed herself and marched away. Natalie knew that at these times, Hermione preferred to be alone; she would approach Hermione later and try to talk about Ron.

One of the few positive consequences of Ron's foolishness was that Natalie and Hermione had become much closer. With Hermione not talking to Ron and Harry splitting his time between the two quarreling friends, Natalie and Hermione spent far more time alone, not including the Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes they took together as well as the evenings and mornings in their dormitories. Surprisingly, Hermione was very open with Natalie regarding Ron. She did not hold back in her anger with his ignorance of her invitation to Slughorn's party as well as her suspicions that Lavender represented a conduit for him to hurt her. Despite Hermione's fury, Natalie still sensed the girl's insecurities about her appearance in comparison to Lavender. Ron's infatuation with the attractive, blonde-haired Gryffindor clearly aggrandized those fears despite Natalie's repeated claims that Hermione's amazing wit and intelligence made her into a far more well-rounded, beautiful person than Lavender could ever imagine. But Natalie was glad for Hermione's implicit trust and reliance on her; whereas Harry may have been her first real friend and may be morphing into something more, Hermione was quickly evolving into a sister.

"I thought they'd wait till after supper to do that sort of thing," commented Harry dryly.

"They probably saw Hermione having a good time with us and decided to spoil the fun," said Natalie scathingly.

Harry frowned at her. "Well, I hope that's not the case."

"He might just be enjoying the attention," noted Natalie with disdain. "It doesn't matter because Hermione left."

"She isn't handling them that well," remarked Harry sadly. "Everytime I've been with her when they started snogging, she's left almost immediately."

"How can you expect her to handle it well?" asked Natalie, her voice rising. "She invited him to Slughorn's party – and now, apparently because of some stupid kiss that happened two years ago, Ron's decided to stomp on her feelings all over the school with that troll."

"No need to snap at me," said Harry defensively. "If I haven't told you already, I agree with you – Ron's in the wrong."

Natalie took a breath. "He's just so insensitive – Hermione did nothing to deserve this."

"Well Ron's usually not like this," said Harry with a frown. "I'm sure he'll eventually see what he's doing."

"By the way, don't tell Hermione about Krum," added Harry anxiously.

"I wasn't going to," said Natalie, resting her arms on the table.

Harry gave her a relieved smile. He reached for the treacle tart near Natalie, but accidentally brushed his hands over her arms, causing both of their cheeks to turn a bright pink. The familiar surge of nervous energy pulsed through Natalie as she lifted her arms from the table with an abnormal jerk. Harry retracted his hand as if it was a drawstring without taking the dish of treacle tart. For a few long seconds, each of them seemed a burn a hole in the table with their eyes, scared and nervous about the other's thoughts.

Finally, Natalie sighed. She could not deny the existence of a sexual tension between them, but she could not bring herself to confront Harry about these awkward moments. She was not yet fully certain whether he actually had feelings for her. He generally seemed very uncomfortable with any type of contact, a consequence of growing up with hostile and likely abusive Muggles. And, though Natalie frequently told herself to allow for the slightly scary, but increasingly exciting opportunity that Harry reciprocated her feelings, she could not help but feel inadequate. From Hermione, she had learned that he had dated the very attractive Ravenclaw, Cho Chang, last year; Natalie knew she had nowhere near the looks, nor the athletic skills of that girl. And then there was, of course, the much scarier subject of her identity. She hated thinking ahead, but Harry would eventually find out her mother was the same woman who had killed his godfather.

Giving a shaky laugh, Natalie pushed the treacle tart towards Harry. "You want some?"

Harry smiled weakly at her, though his gaze was directed at a point past her shoulder. "Yes, you know how it's my favourite dish."

Natalie was torn between laughing at their obvious edginess at one another or reprimanding both herself and Harry for their childish refusal to address the obvious discomfort. "After three months, how could I not know?"

Harry laughed nervously. "Yeah, I suppose so. Where do you think Hermione's gone off to?"

Natalie chose not to comment on the rapid change of subject. It seemed he also noticed the awkwardness of their exchange. "Probably our dormitory, though, she can't go to bed because I think she and Ron have Prefect duty tonight."

"Really?" asked Harry, genuine surprise on his face.

"Yeah, I think it's the first time since he and Lavender got together that they have duty."

Harry swallowed his forkful of treacle tart. "I hope they don't kill each other on the patrol."

"They just might," noted Natalie with an amused smile. "I imagine Hermione has a few spells she'd like to try on him."

"Getting rid of those birds was a bloody pain," muttered Harry, giving a shudder.

"They seemed pretty vicious."

Harry snorted, spraying a few crumbs of the treacle tart onto Natalie's plate. "Ron still has the scars to show it."

"As he should," stated Natalie, moving his crumbs away with her fork as she finished her chocolate cake.

"Oh, sorry about that," said Harry sheepishly.

Natalie waved her other hand at him. "Don't worry about it. Oh, hey, Neville."

Neville walked from behind Harry, dropping himself onto the seat Hermione had vacated. Every time she talked to Neville, Natalie's stomach churned in a combination of dread and guilt. His parents always came to the forefront of her mind.

Harry nodded at Neville who started dishing large chunks of Shepherd's pie onto his plate.

"Late supper?" said Natalie, ignoring the tightness in her stomach.

Neville smiled shyly at her. "I was helping Professor Sprout in the greenhouses with some plants for her Seventh year class."

"Wow," said Natalie, looking very impressed even though she knew Neville was easily the best Herbology student in their year and perhaps in the school. "Have you ever thought of taking your NEWT's a year early?"

Neville blushed. "It would be too much work… I barely have enough time as it is."

"Herbology's a breeze for you mate," said Harry, smiling. "I don't think Seventh year work would take that much time."

"And you would also be able to learn more advanced material next year," pointed Natalie.

Neville shrugged though he looked slightly interested. "I do plan to go into Herbology after Hogwarts, but if I started now, I'd be almost three months behind on material. And I'm barely passing Defense as it is, so I need all the time I can have."

"Too bad Snape's teaching the subject," said Harry bitterly. "I'm almost convinced that he'll try to teach us the Dark Arts by the start of next term."

"I hate his favouritism," added Natalie, frowning. "At Durmstrang, none of the teachers were like him – they never showed blatant preference for any particular group of students."

"Basically if you're associated with me, he marks you out," said Harry darkly.

Neville laughed. "Though I think after our first Potions class, he had it out for me. I'm just glad that at least with DADA, it's harder for me to make a mess of a spell than with a Potion."

Harry also laughed. "Yeah, I also remember that class. He must have underlined our names on the class-list beforehand."

"The grudge against you, Harry, is really strange though," commented Natalie thoughtfully. "It's so unfair that he dislikes you so much because of your father."

Harry shifted in his seat. "Well, it is what it is. I don't like it either but he's always a git with me."

Natalie noticed his squirming in the few times she had mentioned Snape's intense dislike, bordering on hatred, for Harry. She considered asking Harry about the grudge later.

"That reminds me," said Neville thoughtfully through a mouthful of Shepherd's pie. "Are you starting the DA this year? I still have my coin."

"Dumbledore's Army- the organization you guys ran last year to help with DADA?" said Natalie, smiling at the hopeful expression on Neville's face. She gathered that he wanted for the DA to start much more than he let on.

Harry also seemed to notice Neville's barely contained enthusiasm for he gave him a sad smile. "I don't think so Neville. Snape, as much as I hate him, is sticking to the curriculum and if we do start it, it can't be a secret. Snape will be pretty pissed and a lot more students will want to join."

"Because almost every non-Slytherin girl in the school wants Harry Potter to teach them," noted Natalie scornfully.

Harry nodded. "Yeah – you were there for Quidditch tryouts – that was a complete raucus. It will be harder to coordinate, but Neville, if you need help, don't hesitate to ask me. We can always use the Room of Requirement for practice and I always like a good duel. And plus Natalie here is no slouch either – you remember our first defense class."

Natalie smiled at the warm, inviting tone underlying Harry's words. He knew exactly what to say and how to pick his words.

Neville looked a bit deflated, though he smiled at the two of them. "I understand – it seems kind of pointless anyway to start the DA this year. I'll probably take you up on your offer for Defense help Harry – I reckon you're a far better teacher than Snape ever could be."

Harry nodded, smiling encouragingly at Neville. "You've improved quite a bit from last year. And not many people can say they took on Voldemort's most powerful Death Eaters, outnumbered 2 to 1 –"

"– And lived to tell the tale," finished Natalie as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Neville blushed, though Natalie could tell he was pleased. "Oh well, Harry and Hermione were brilliant. I just had to make sure I wasn't hit."

"Where is the Room of Requirement anyway?" asked Natalie, trying to remember whether Harry had told her the specific location.

"On the 7th floor, across from that portrait of Barnabas the Barmy," answered Neville. "There's no door, so people usually just walk past it – you have to walk 3 times across the corridor, imagining what you want and a door should appear."

"I'll show you sometime," said Harry, grinning at her.

"Definitely," agreed Natalie, trying not to blush under Harry's disarming grin. "I've never heard of a room like that."

"It's pretty amazing," said Neville fondly. "It can get anything you want."

"And we needed a room like that with all the people we had in the end," remarked Harry.

"How did you manage to get all those people together?" asked Natalie, slightly amazed. Though Harry had mentioned the secret organization he, Ron and Hermione helped to create last year, he had never specifically explained how all those meetings were coordinated.

"It was Hermione's idea – the Protean charm," replied Harry. "She gave each of us coins and when we decided on a meeting, the coin would become hot with the specific date set on it."

"Those meetings were brilliant," continued Neville. "Practically saved my life."

For the rest of the meal, Neville and Harry reminisced about the DA. Natalie was surprised at the entire range of topics Harry had taught them; it was essentially a crude representation of what she learned last year along with the Patronus charm Kalissa taught her. Unfortunately, as both Harry and Neville recalled with considerable sourness, the now 7th year Ravenclaw, Marietta Edgecombe, eventually betrayed them to Umbridge, but she was assured by Neville and Harry that the jinx Hermione orchestrated to ruin the traitor's face could not be missed.

Once Neville had finished supper, the three of them headed back to the common room. When they entered through the portrait hole, the common room was pretty crowded, not unexpected for a Friday night. Natalie could not spot Hermione, but she supposed her friend's absence could be explained by the nauseating image of Ron and Lavender immersed in another snogging fest in the armchair by the fireplace.

"It was nice chatting to you two," said Neville, yawning. "I'm going to go to sleep – there's only so much Ron and Lavender I can take for one evening."

Harry and Natalie laughed as he exited to the dormitories. "I really don't feel like going to bed, but I don't want to see Ron and Lavender keep smashing their faces together either," said Natalie, shaking her head at the pair. She and Harry sat down at an unoccupied table in the corner opposite Ron and Lavender. Many of the fourth year and fifth girls in the common had begun to shoot Natalie scathing glares. Though it annoyed her immensely at the beginning of the year, the naivety of those girls now only amused her.

"Neither do I," agreed Harry. "Do you think Hermione's in your dormitory?"

"I should check up on her," said Natalie, frowning. "I hope she knows she has Prefect patrol later."

"Come on, it's Hermione. She'd never forget that," said Harry, grinning. "Especially if she knows she has to spend a full hour with Ron at her side."

"I'm starting to think that maybe one of us should go with them for Ron's safety," said Natalie jokingly, though she considered that might be a reasonable proposal.

Harry chuckled. "I could always use my invisibility cloak to _accompany_ them, but I'm sure Hermione would realize the presence of a third person."

"Have you used your invisibility cloak this year at all?" said Natalie, trying to remember if she had seen it.

Harry scratched his head. "Actually, I don't think so – I mean I used it on the train to spy on Malfoy, but since then I haven't really had a reason to sneak around the castle."

Natalie smirked at him. "And you needed a reason in previous years?"

"Not really," answered Harry absently. A thoughtful expression suddenly flashed over his face before he looked at her excitedly.

"Everything alright, Harry?" said Natalie confusedly.

"Why don't we use the cloak tonight?" said Harry, glancing at his watch. "It's almost curfew now and you said you wanted to see the Room of Requirement."

"There are aurors and prefects patrolling the castle," said Natalie uneasily.

Harry waved her off. "The cloak will hide us and I can use my map to find out where everybody is. No one will be able to enter the room once we're in."

"The map your father and his friends made?" said Natalie, remembering that astounding piece of magic Harry showed her.

"Yeah," said Harry, moving restlessly in his chair.

"The map shows the location of everyone in the castle," said Natalie contemplatively

"With all the hidden passageways and shortcuts as well," added Harry intently.

Natalie considered Harry's plan. It sounded fairly safe. With the map, they would be able to avoid all teachers, aurors and prefects and in case they did come across another person, they would have the cloak as insurance. Natalie was very curious to see exactly how the Room of Requirement operated and the enthusiastic look on Harry's face was very persuasive.

"Will we both able to fit under the cloak?" said Natalie.

"We should be able to," replied Harry. "I mean in the summer, all three of us were able to."

Natalie nodded before smiling at Harry. "Alright let's go – it'll be a nice change from the common room."

Harry beamed at her. "I'll go get my invisibility cloak."

Natalie raised her hand to stop him. "I want see how Hermione's doing first. I guess you don't want to put the cloak over the two of us when we're in the common room and it would look suspicious if I went to your dormitory. I'll go outside after I see Hermione and you can come meet me with the cloak on."

Harry nodded at her slowly. "That sounds fine, but don't let Hermione convince you that this is too risky."

"Of course not," said Natalie, winking at Harry. "Do you honestly think so lowly of me?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "You were the one who was worried about teachers, aurors and prefects."

"Yes, I was and for good reason," said Natalie crossly. "I'm going to go to my dormitory to see Hermione – I'll see you in about ten minutes outside the common room."

Harry nodded at her before he stood up and walked to his dormitories. Natalie followed him, taking the staircase to the girls' dormitories. Once she entered the 6th year girls' dorm, she found Hermione lying on her bed, reading their Charms textbook.

When she stepped into the room, Hermione looked up with a small smile on her face. "You took a long time with supper."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Neville came along and he and Harry told me about the DA – the Protean charm was pretty smart."

"Ah," replied Hermione. "I actually got the idea from the Dark Mark – how Voldemort summons his Death Eaters."

"It sounded familiar," acknowledged Natalie, grinning as she sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed.

"By the way," began Natalie casually, "you realize you have Prefect patrol in about five minutes with –"

"– Ron," said Hermione darkly.

"Yes," said Natalie, looking at Hermione intently and noticing the puffy, redness of her eyes as well as the dark circles under her eyes that seemed to be widening each day. "You alright? You didn't eat much at supper."

Hermione turned her head away from Natalie's scrutinizing gaze. "They're still attached at the mouth, downstairs?"

Natalie gave a hollow laugh. "Of course, though I imagine he'll have to separate from her when he goes on patrol."

Hermione sat up, resting herself against her pillows. "It's only one hour and we don't have to talk to each other. After we're done, he can go back to eating her face and –"

"– You can go back to brooding in your dormitory about them," finished Natalie with a wry smile.

"I do not do that," stated Hermione indignantly.

"I don't blame you, anyway," said Natalie, ignoring Hermione's statement. "I would be angry in the exact same way."

"He can kiss who ever he likes," said Hermione earnestly though her voice was shaking slightly.

Natalie slid over the bed, placing her hand on Hermione's leg. "Hermione, I know how you feel about him –"

"– And I know how you feel about Harry," interjected Hermione with a smirk.

Natalie's cheeks turned a bright pink. Hermione had almost instantly noticed the sexual tension between her and Harry once it appeared. "Well, it's good that we both know each other's feelings about those two boys," said Natalie, trying to contain her embarrassment.

"But the point is," continued Natalie, regaining her composure, "that Ron hurt you and you have every right to be angry with him."

Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Yes, he did," said Hermione, looking as if it very much pained her to admit the simple truth. "And I am furious."

Natalie smiled at her. "You just have to be –"

"Patient," repeated Hermione in frustration. "We've been through this before."

"But this is the first time you've actually told me your feelings," said Natalie, pleased at Hermione's confession.

"Well, it's hard to be patient," snapped Hermione. "He's being such a git and everytime I see him, I just want to hex him so badly."

Natalie wondered whether she and Harry actually should accompany Hermione and Ron before quickly deciding Hermione could control herself. "He'll come through."

"Yeah, Harry says the same thing," said Hermione before checking her watch and standing up from her bed. "I have prefect patrol now with the idiot."

Natalie walked with Hermione out of the room, causing the brown haired girl to look at her with a quizzical expression. "Is Harry in the common room?"

Natalie fidgeted nervously with the sleeve of her jumper. "Er well, he actually wanted to show me the Room of Requirement."

"Now?" asked Hermione, raising her eyebrows at her.

Natalie nodded weakly. "We'll be using the –"

"Invisiblity cloak and map," finished Hermione. She crossed her arms in disapproval. "You realize how risky that is. If you get caught, you'll surely cost Gryffindor points and get detention."

Natalie looked away from Hermione's stern gaze. "I want to see how the Room operates – it's really one of its kind."

"Can't you do this tomorrow?" said Hermione in exasperation.

"Harry seemed pretty excited with it and I want to see the room," said Natalie lamely, realizing how unconvincing her excuse sounded.

"And you can't deny him," said Hermione, her lips twitching slightly.

"No, I can't," said Natalie, sighing. "I'm getting the feeling that you're enjoying this."

Hermione considered her for a moment before rolling her eyes and sighing as well. "Fine, go. Just remember when you're caught not to come asking me for help."

"I wouldn't dream of it," muttered Natalie.

"And I think it would do you two some good to spend some time alone – that Room has some potential," said Hermione with a sneaky grin before she walked down the stairs into the common room.

Natalie shook her head before following the brown haired girl down the staircase. She pushed through a group of fourth year boys that Hermione was reprimanding for playing with Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products. With a relieved breath, Natalie noticed that Ron and Lavender had finally separated. She supposed Ron needed to go to his dormitory to freshen up before the patrol. Lavender sat alone in the armchair with her arms crossed, looking smugly at Hermione. Her hair was completely disheveled and her Muggle clothing was protruding and sticking out in an assortment of odd angles. As she walked past Lavender, Natalie gave her a disgusted glare, slightly startling the blonde-haired girl. After navigating through throngs of first years and second years, she finally exited the portrait hole.

As she waited for Harry, Natalie began to straighten out her clothing. She was never one to fuss obsessively over her appearance. She picked clothing that fit her nicely without being too revealing or hugging her body too tightly, never bothering to wear any makeup or trying to straighten her usual wavy hair. But over the past few weeks, she was paying attention to details she would have never considered before; she found herself always looking after meals to check that there were no stains on any of her tops, constantly straightening out her jumpers, not wanting them to appear loose and baggy, desiring for the first time for some tops with slightly lower necklines and that were tighter fitting and most noticeably, briefly considering whether she should buy a potion to straighten her hair. Natalie shook her head in amazement at the reason behind this newfound fascination. She had no idea that combination of jet black hair, green eyes and spectacles could change her behavior so much.

While Natalie continued to run a hand through her wavy hair, twirling it around her fingers, somebody tapped her shoulder. Not hearing the portrait hole open, Natalie immediately swiveled her body, her wand pointing at an empty space in the wall.

Suddenly, Harry appeared behind her back out of thin air with a sly grin on his face.

"Oh, Harry that was you," exclaimed Natalie, turning to face him with an annoyed expression. "I must have not heard you enter through the portrait hole."

Harry shook his head, looking at her strangely. "I was here before you came."

"You were?" asked Natalie, her voice unusually high pitched.

Harry chuckled, though he still bore that odd expression on his face. "Yes, and I have to say you do fiddle with you jumper quite a bit."

Natalie averted her eyes from Harry's gaze, trepidation filling her. "Well, I am a girl." She desperately hoped Harry had not read too much into her self conscious fidgeting.

"Yes, you are," said Harry, the strange expression leaving his face. "But I don't know why you're adjusting your jumper. It looks very nice." He then turned his body from her, pulling out the map from his pocket, leaving Natalie to stare open-mouthed at his back. Even she would not be able to rationalize to herself that his comment was completely platonic.

"Shall we go now?" asked Harry, rotating his head to face her again. His cheeks had a somewhat flushed appearance.

"Yes, of course, before Ron and Hermione come out," said Natalie, still flustered.

Harry unfolded the cloak in his hands. Natalie gasped at the sheer beauty of the object. A transparent, sparkling silver flowed elegantly across the garment that had none of the creases and ruffles she had seen in other invisibility cloaks at Durmstrang.

"Pretty, isn't it?" said Harry proudly as he moved closer to Natalie.

"It looks like it hasn't worn out at all over time," noted Natalie in admiration.

Harry nodded. "Yeah I know and I suspect it's been in the family for a long time." He quickly thrust the cloak over both of them, beckoning for Natalie to slide close to him.

As she moved to Harry's side, she realized with a sudden lurch how close they were. Her right leg was leaning onto his left leg. Their shoulders were firmly planted side by side and her head was only inches away from Harry's mouth. She could easily see the slight stubble sprouting around his chin, the small pimples above his eyes, the rich, pink colour of his lips and the soft creases defining his mouth. Natalie feared she might be numbed by the electricity coursing through her. With their bodies locked together, Natalie could feel the heat radiating off him. The full bodied, salty smell of sweat, grass and dirt emanating off Harry's skin, hair and robes held a freshness that Natalie found very enthralling.

Harry gulped. "Let's go," he whispered in her ear, his breath sending ripples of exhilaration down her spine.

Natalie nodded, looking at the map in Harry's hand. Most of the prefects were still in their common rooms as were the teachers in their offices. Nobody was on the seventh floor though on the staircase closest to them leading to the seventh floor, a person with the name, Savage, was standing.

"Who's that?" whispered Natalie, pointing at the dot with the name, Savage.

"Auror," answered Harry, frowning. "It looks like we'll have to take the other staircase then. It's the longer route, but the Aurors are trained to pick out people under invisibility cloaks."

"That's fine," whispered Natalie.

They began to walk away from where Savage stood. However, Natalie had never moved before under an invisibility cloak, let alone with another person alongside her. She clumsily stepped into Harry's path, causing him to bump into her back, sending them both staggering sideways. Harry managed to keep his balance, but Natalie fell to the ground with a distinct thud. Her feet poked outside of the cloak. Thankfully, nobody had come out of the portrait hole and she imagined Savage was too far away to hear the sound.

Harry smiled at her as he picked her up with his hand.

"Sorry about that," said Natalie, very embarrassed. She slid herself back under the cloak, stretching her fingers which tingled under Harry's touch.

They resumed walking more cautiously along the corridor to the other staircase. To avoid any students still lingering, they took a few of the hidden passageways before arriving at the staircase and climbing it. Once they reached the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy, Natalie turned her gaze to Harry.

"So, what do you want the room to be?" asked Natalie.

"I was thinking, I'd let you decide that," said Harry, grinning at her.

Natalie scratched her forehead. "I really don't know what I would like to see. I suppose after hearing you and Neville, I would want to see a proper training room."

Harry gestured to the blank wall. "Go ahead. Walk three times with me, thinking of what you want."

Natalie nodded, focusing on the exact image she wanted the room to recreate. With Harry at her side, she paced back and forth three times, trying to concentrate on as many details as possible. After the third pacing, a door materialized in the wall to Natalie's relief. Harry winked at her as they opened the door and entered the room.

Natalie gaped at the sight before her. It was exactly as she pictured the training arena in her mind. The room was about the size of the Gryffindor common room except far more majestic in Natalie's opinion. As she envisioned, charcoal grey walls rose vertically to a high, domed ceiling. The topmost edges of the walls met clear, moonlight windows that gradually curved upwards, ending in a strip of dark blue running across the entire center and apex of the ceiling. Beams of moonlight highlighted various sections of the room Natalie had pictured including two shelves stacked with Defense books on either side of a roaring fire alongside the back wall, various practice dummies standing erect alongside each wall, a pile of cushions in front of them, numerous alcoves and corners that would be useful in a duel and a smooth, elegantly polished oak floor perfect for sliding and slipping.

"This is definitely different than the room we used," noted Harry, looking around in admiration.

"It's the room I pictured," said Natalie with a shrug.

"Really?" said Harry, somewhat astounded. "When we used the room last year, we didn't have a specific image in mind but just that we wanted a room to practice defense."

"I suppose an imaginative mind really does take full advantage of this room," commented Natalie airily, sweeping her hand dramatically around the place.

Harry laughed. "I definitely don't have that type of imagination."

"What do you want to do?" said Natalie, eying the dummies. "Seeing that this room is designed for DADA practice, I say we take full advantage of its capabilities."

"How about a duel?" suggested Harry, eagerly.

"I was thinking about target practice on those dummies," answered Natalie coyly, "but I can't say that it wouldn't be interesting to face the great Harry Potter."

"You're probably better than me anyway – almost sent me flying across the room in our first Defense class."

"Still annoyed about that are you?" said Natalie with a sly grin.

"So a duel?" said Harry, rocking excitedly on his feet.

Natalie had to bite back a laugh at his excitement. "Alright. How good are your non-verbal spells?"

Harry frowned at her. "I'm improving, but I'm nowhere as good as you. Don't go easy on me though."

Natalie snorted. "You're selling yourself short, Harry. Trust me when I say I'm definitely not going to underestimate you."

Harry laughed. "Let's spread apart. I'll go to the right wall and you can stand at the left wall."

"Alright," answered Natalie, waving her wand so that the cushions arranged themselves against the wall to ease their falls.

They moved to their respective positions. "So I suppose we should do this formally," said Natalie, bowing to Harry.

"Very well, Miss Malkae," jested Harry, also bowing.

Natalie did not know whether she should send a curse at Harry as soon as their wands were raised. Although the prospect of dueling Harry seemed like a very intriguing challenge, she could not help but feel a twinge of dread at trying to harm the boy who had been the source of thoughts and dreams far more pleasant than she could admit.

Thankfully, Natalie did not have to make the decision. Harry sent a rather weak stinging curse that Natalie easily deflected. Judging by the strength and slow timing of the curse, she supposed he was having second thoughts about the duel.

"Come on," said Natalie boldly, trying to ignore her own hesitancy. "Those types of spells aren't going to harm me."

She quickly blocked a stronger Stunning spell from Harry. He dodged the rebounded spell with amazing ease.

Natalie pointed her wand at his diving figure, focusing firmly on "Aeronaugio" in her mind. The magic coursed through her shoulder and she heard the mass of air zip out of her wand.

Harry somehow sensed the air approaching him. He again ducked his head, causing the mass of fast moving air to hit the wall with a resounding clang.

"That certainly wasn't a weak spell," commented Harry wryly.

"I'm pretending that you're Malfoy," said Natalie with a rueful grin. "It's actually doing wonders. By the way, trying to dodge those curses is giving me time to aim at you."

Harry looked at her with a determined glint in his eye. He waved his wand rapidly, shouting "_Impedimenta!_"

"_Protego!_" responded Natalie, taken aback by the quickness of his casting. The spell hit her shield with surprising force, sending her staggering slightly.

Another jet of red light came hurtling towards her. This time, Natalie ignored her own advice, jumping out of the way of the curse before she had to conjure another shield to fend off a powerful petrifying curse. Harry definitely seemed to have moved past his initial apprehension.

Deciding that she needed to surprise him, Natalie pointed her wand at a point above his shoulder, imagining the Aguamenti spell in her head. A jet of water flew straight ahead, getting blasted by Harry's array of stunning spells so that water splashed all over the room.

Taking advantage of Harry's momentary pause to fend away the flashing water, Natalie fired two stunners, one after the other at Harry. One was directed at him and the other a spot she knew he would move to avoid the first spell.

Harry neatly moved his body away from the first stunner. The second stunner caught him on the shoulder, sending him into the wall. He grimaced, rubbing his arm.

"Harry, I didn't break your arm, did I?" said Natalie worriedly, rushing across the room.

Harry lifted the apparently injured arm without any hindrance, giving her a triumphant smirk.

"Why you little devil!" cried Natalie, diving into an alcove and narrowing missing a set of stinging curses.

She rested her head against the wall. "Harry, I honestly didn't expect you to play dirty."

"You're too good for me to win fairly," replied Harry innocently from somewhere across the room.

"What a load of rubbish!" exclaimed Natalie, trying to pinpoint exactly where Harry was.

She sent a reducto curse in the direction of where he last was, hoping that it would at least draw him out. She heard a loud explosion in that corner, seeing some stones fall out of the wall. Looking around, Natalie finally saw Harry in an alcove diagonal from her, his wand pointed at the book shelves.

Natalie looked at him in surprise, but then shrieked furiously at seeing a few of those books banished towards her at lightning speed. She jumped out of the way, conjuring a shield to block Harry's subsequent "_Impedimenta"._

"You shouldn't do that to books!" shouted Natalie. "What would Hermione think?"

Harry roared with laughter. "She'd definitely try to hex me."

A thought suddenly occurring to her, Natalie picked up one of the books, throwing it nearby Harry. She cringed inwardly at Hermione's reaction. Before Harry could send the book banishing towards her, Natalie waved her wand in a figure eight motion, visualizing the book transforming into a big, loudly snorting pig. To her pleasure, she saw the book first enlargen and then quickly morph into a large pig, obscuring Harry's view.

"Where are you now?" asked Harry, standing on his tiptoes to find Natalie who had run to a side where she could get a clear shot at Harry.

Natalie laughed before sending an "Aeronaugio" that Harry again managed to sense though this time the curse caught his diving legs. It contained enough energy to send him flying against the pig who snorted into his face.

"Ahhh!" yelled Harry, pushing away from the pig.

Natalie, not being able to contain her laughter, fired a stunner at him. He saw her, blocking the stunner and returning fire with a badly aimed Jelly legs jinx. Then, after rolling under the pig, he started running madly towards Natalie with a wide smile on his face.

"Aaaaah!" bellowed Harry, charging towards her.

Natalie dropped her wand in complete surprise. "Harry, what in the world –"

Before she could complete her sentence, Harry playfully tackled her feet, causing her to fall to the ground

"Harry!" shrieked Natalie, as she rolled under him. Her face was burning, her heart hammering against her chest as Harry's thighs straddled her, his hands resting against her shoulders.

"Harry, what are you doing?" cried Natalie, not bothering to hide the apprehension in her voice. She had envisioned this position many times in her dreams but never in this type of scenario.

Harry smiled hesitantly at her, his face also very red. "It was a good tactic, wasn't it?" He lowered his hands onto her stomach, confusing Natalie even more. And then suddenly, Harry tickled her.

Natalie initially stared at him in utmost bewilderment before she broke out into fits of laughter, shaking and squirming under Harry's tickles.

She could not believe this was happening. It was if the balloon of tension enveloping them whenever they touched had popped. Harry had no trouble running his hands across her chest and stomach, trying to throw her into even greater bursts of laughter while she playfully obliged under his grasp.

"Harry, you're going to make me cry," said Natalie, for once not being bothered by the shivers and goosebumps his touch was giving her. She decided to return the favor, wrapping her hands around Harry's back and twisting them over so that she was positioned over his chest.

"I'm not nearly as ticklish as you may think," said Harry though Natalie could easily see the uneasiness on his face.

"We'll see about that," whispered Natalie huskily in his ear, amazed at her own recklessness. She thought she saw Harry shiver. Then, ignoring the frantic warning her mind was giving her, Natalie let her hands slide slowly down Harry's body from his face to his chest and finally to his abdomen, pressing her fingers lightly to feel all the subtle, ridges, undulations and curves. His eyes widened, staring directly into her clouded brown eyes as his body gave a few shudders that only seemed to intensify her desires.

"And now the grand prize," said Natalie, unable to keep a seductive tone from her voice. She had no idea where this sudden surge of bravery was coming from. Perhaps, Harry's own physical launch at her spurred a release of all the repressed desires within her.

She tickled his stomach, trying her best to reach all the sensitive spots. Fortunately, Harry had lied about not being ticklish for he erupted into even louder and more prolonged burst of laughter than Natalie. She discovered a spot just above his stomach and below his ribs which caused his usually deep, roaring laughs to morph into high, pitched giggles.

"Stop it," exclaimed Harry, turning his head to the floor to muffle his laughter. "I might just wet my pants."

"You might already have," said Natalie, giving him a cheeky grin, "judging by those giggles."

Harry finally squeezed himself out of Natalie's hold, resting himself against a leather settee that seemingly appeared out nowhere. Natalie moved to his side, letting her head also fall against the edge of the settee. Both of them had extremely flushed looks on their faces and were breathing heavily.

"That was definitely interesting," commented Harry with a goofy grin on his face.

"What the duel or our tickling fight?" asked Natalie, starting to feel very extremely embarrassed at her uncharacteristic behavior during the tickling.

"Both," answered Harry. "I have to say you had me beat after you transfigured that pig."

Natalie gave a shaky laugh. "I should probably change it back." She waved her wand in the same figure eight motion at the pig, now picturing the opposite transformation with the proper word for the countercurse. The pig stopped snorting, shrinked rapidly, took on the light brown colour of the book, before transforming back to the rectangular shape.

"Brilliant," muttered Harry, looking at her in admiration.

Natalie blushed. "What exactly were you intending when you came charging at me like a maniac?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders though a red tinge outlined his cheeks. "I figured you had me cornered behind the pig. My best chance was to try something you wouldn't expect."

"And you decided to run at me like a wild bull?"

"Yeah," said Harry sheepishly. "It did the trick though, didn't it?"

"As crude as it was, it did shock me. But I hope you realize Harry that you don't win a duel by tickling the other person."

"Oh, I know," said Harry, breaking into another fit of laughter. "That was a spur of the moment decision. I thought it would be some fun."

"It was," agreed Natalie, her face returning to its burning red colour. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with, um, the way I tickled you."

Harry waved her off. "There's no need to apologize for that."

Harry looked at her with a strange expression. "Besides, that's the first time an attractive girl has touched me like that." He raised a hand to his mouth, apparently shocked he had said that.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him, her body going rigid. "Well, er, yeah," spluttered Natalie. "I guess I really don't know what to say." She had no idea as to what to say or think. Was that a real sign he liked her or simply the confession of a teenage boy who enjoyed girls running their suggestively down his chest?

Harry shook his head again, an uncomfortable smile on his face. "Neither do I."

Natalie nodded, beginning to berate herself for the way she had touched Harry. Surely, he must have realized she had more than friendly feelings for him now.

"We're both sweating and out of breath," said Harry, breaking the silence before it stretched awkwardly.

Natalie inwardly felt a burst of gratitude for the change in subject. "Is there a loo around here?"

"I think it just appeared," noted Harry, pointing a door on the wall to their right.

"Amazing," muttered Natalie. "I'm just going to freshen myself up. That was quite a workout."

Harry grinned at her. "You're definitely better than some of the Death Eaters we saw at the Ministry."

"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment," quipped Natalie.

Once she entered the bathroom and shut the door, Natalie let out a deep breath. Her body was still tingling, holding onto the remnants of Harry's thick, calloused fingers, remembering the way his chest oscillated and shivered under her touch. She could not shake off the unsettling sensation of watching herself rake her hands over Harry's body. A wild, insatiable desire filled her chest at that moment; that desire, which only manifested itself in her dreams, extinguished all the screams of caution in her mind. She had to feel Harry, satisfy her cravings and understand him. Natalie again shook her head, trying to clear her mind of all the inappropriate images popping into her head. She suspected Harry's initiation of contact had somehow triggered a release of all the repressed emotion within her, though she feared she would not be able to control herself if he again came at her.

Before she could endure any more disquieting thoughts, Natalie washed her face. She tied her hair into a ponytail and straightened out her jumper and jeans before exhaling loudly again and opening the door.

Harry had moved onto the settee, his arms clasped in his lap. He appeared to be staring contemplatively into space, not hearing the creaking of the door, nor Natalie's footsteps.

When she dropped herself onto the other end of the settee as far as away from him, Harry jumped, finally noticing her.

"Deep in thought?" said Natalie with a small smile.

"Yeah," said Harry slowly, his eyes turning from her.

"You don't want to freshen up?" said Natalie, feeling slightly hurt at the distant tone in his voice. The way he reacted to her hands suggested romantic feelings but his comments and tone afterward seemed to suggest otherwise.

"Nah," replied Harry, his lips twitching. "I've been sweatier."

"Typical," answered Natalie, rolling her eyes.

"You know," began Natalie, searching for any type of topic to ease the sudden awkwardness. "I was surprised you didn't use one of the Prince's curses."

"I should have tried you a couple," agreed Harry, a smile slowly forming on his face. "It would have been nice to try Levicorpus on you."

Natalie scoffed. "As if it would have caught me."

"That's true. I don't think I actually hit you with a jinx," said Harry pensively.

"You knew what Levicorpus was though, before you came across the Prince?" said Natalie, recalling him telling Ron about seeing the spell before.

"Er, yeah," said Harry, running a hand nervously through his hair.

"You saw one of the Slytherins use it?" asked Natalie knowingly.

"Not exactly," said Harry, lowering his eyes to the floor. "My father used the curse."

"Oh," said Natalie, stunned. "How do you know that?"

"Um, well, you –"

Natalie sighed. "Harry, if you don't want to talk about it with me, you don't have to." It was clear that Harry, for some reason, felt distinctly uncomfortable revealing how he knew what the spell was.

Harry shook his head frantically. "No, no, it's not like that. I trust you, but it's just that I'm not very proud of what I saw."

"Oh," replied Natalie, taken aback. "Sorry for the snappishness. But your father used the curse, didn't he?"

"And the question is why I wouldn't be proud of my father?" said Harry with a dark look on his face.

"Yeah," answered Natalie cautiously. She was curious about what his father did, but she knew from personal experience, how powerful a motivating factor shame could be.

"Listen, Harry, if you're not proud of it, then you don't have to feel obliged to talk about what your father did."

Harry raised his eyebrows at her, evidently surprised at her statement. He seemed to look at her more closely before smiling grimly. "It's not a big thing and there's no reason why I shouldn't tell you. You know the grudge Snape has against my father, right?"

Natalie nodded. "Is this the reason why you're always so reserved when you talk about that grudge?"

Harry stared at her in astonishment. "So perceptive."

"I didn't have to be that observant to notice you squirm, Harry," Natalie said pointedly.

"I guess I am obvious then," said Harry, frowning. "Anyway, I think I told you about the Occlumency lessons I had with Snape last year?"

"Yes," said Natalie, nodding her head for him to continue.

"Well, during one of those lessons, he decided to keep a memory of his in a pensieve," explained Harry. "When he went away, I shouldn't have done this, but I looked at the memory in the pensive. It basically showed Sirius and my dad bullying and humiliating Snape in front of most of the students of Hogwarts. I think the memory occurred after their Defense OWL – my dad and Sirius just decided to pick on Snape for the fun of it. One of the hexes my dad used was 'Levicorpus' to levitate Snape upside down."

"Oh," exclaimed Natalie, feeling a slight pang of sympathy for the surly teacher. "You didn't like their actions."

"Of course not," said Harry, scowling. "They behaved like arrogant bullies – that's something I'd expect of Malfoy and not my father or godfather."

"It sounds cruel, Harry," said Natalie soothingly, "but that was just one memory you saw. Sirius and your father probably grew up quite a bit after that."

"I know, I know," answered Harry in frustration. "But it doesn't change the way they behaved. Deciding to hex someone simply because they 'existed' is wrong."

"You know how it feels to be picked on like that," noted Natalie, giving Harry a sad smile.

Harry blinked at her. "Yeah, I do know about being bullied," Harry said slowly, staring at her with an unreadable expression.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "I saw your uncle and cousin, Harry. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what they're capable of. Getting back to James and Sirius, hexing another person for fun is wrong, but they were fifteen-year-old boys. From what my mother told me about your father and godfather, they turned out to be great people. I'm sure they were different than Malfoy and your cousin."

"I suppose so," said Harry, giving her a brief nod of the head. She could tell by the contemplative look on his face that he was mulling her words in his head. After a slight pause, he spoke again. "I guess I was just shocked at how Snape was kind of right about them, but they must have changed. That wasn't the worst part of the memory though."

"What was?" Natalie asked.

Harry began to fiddle with the cushion on the settee, twisting it within his hands. His expression became far more distressed. "My mum defended Snape and she really seemed to hate my dad. Within that memory alone, he must have asked her three times to go out with him and all three times, she outright refused."

"Oh," said Natalie, very much surprised by this detail. "Well, speaking as a girl, I wouldn't have liked to see somebody bully another person just for their own pleasure and I would dislike that person even more if he made a spectacle of asking me out."

"I know," said Harry quietly. "I would feel the same way."

Suddenly, Natalie realized why Harry appeared so tense about his parents' fight. "You don't think she loved your father."

Harry nodded earnestly at her. "They were in fifth year and by that time you would have thought they would have been at least friends by then. And they weren't very old when I was born so –"

"You're worried they only got married because your mother was pregnant with you," finished Natalie.

"Yes."

Seeing Harry's slouched shoulders, the despondent drooping of his head and his clouded eyes, a familiar urge rolled through Natalie to move over and wrap her arms around him. But after their recent encounter, she feared he would not enjoy her putting her hands all over him again.

Natalie sighed. Harry clearly believed in the possibility that his parents were only with each other because of him. Even though she believed that scenario to be far-fetched, the fear of being the source of his parents' unhappiness held a sharpness Natalie could not fathom. Ignoring the stern, reprimanding voice in her head sounding suspiciously like Minerva, Natalie slid over the settee, next to Harry.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Harry, have you talked to anybody else about this memory?"

Harry swallowed. "Sirius and Remus. They said my parents only started dating in 7th year when my dad decided to change his behavior for my mum."

"Harry, you have to remember it's only one memory," said Natalie, deciding to rub his shoulder lightly. "Let's say Ron and Hermione do end up together after all this mess. If we show their children the memory of Hermione sending those canaries at Ron, how do you think their children would react?"

His eyes cleared slightly, understanding appearing. "I reckon they'd wonder how their parents would ever get together."

"Exactly," enunciated Natalie. "They wouldn't see all the good memories of Ron and Hermione, not realizing how much they actually do care for each other."

"And furthermore," continued Natalie, "from what I've heard and what you said in that memory, your mother was a strong, independent woman. She wouldn't have let herself deteriorate in an unhappy relationship. If she felt your father wasn't a good person, she wouldn't have even decided to go out with him in the first place."

"You do make a lot of sense," said Harry pensively, placing his hand on Natalie's leg. The distressed look of frustration began to leave his face. "I can't see my mum giving him the time of day if she still thought he was an 'arrogant toerag.'"

Natalie laughed. "She actually used that insult?"

"Yeah."

"I think I'll try that on Malfoy one of these days."

Harry laughed, rubbing her leg. Natalie had to close her eyes to ignore the shivers racing down her spine. "Thanks a lot, Natalie," whispered Harry, his vibrant, emerald green eyes pouring into her murky, brown ones. "I've actually never talked to Ron and Hermione about this."

A wonderful, exhilarating infusion of warmth entered Natalie. Harry actually trusted her and more importantly, he valued her company. Perhaps, because she had never become close to anyone at Durmstrang, nor had she felt fully integrated into Hogwarts, his simple word of thanks provided Natalie with a complete, wholesome satisfaction.

"I should be thanking you for telling me," said Natalie softly, holding his gaze.

Harry smiled at her, a subtle, gentle curving of the lips, accentuated by his bright eyes and glowing expression. "You've been listening to me go on and on about my troubles – I really don't want you to think that I have great emotional issues."

Natalie chuckled, thinking of the irony of the situation. They both seemed to have emotional issues. "I enjoy talking about these types of things."

Harry's smile widened. "If you want to, you can talk to me anything bothering you. I'm not experienced with these emotional chats, but I'll try my best." He gazed at her warmly, a sincere, inviting tone underlining his words.

Natalie's smile faltered. "Bothering me?"

Harry apparently did not see the hesitant look appear on her features. "Yes, I do notice things about you as well," said Harry, concern entering his eyes. He seemed to take her silence as a sign to continue. "You never talk about Durmstrang and even though you talk a lot about your mother, I don't think I've ever heard you mention your father."

Natalie took a sharp intake of breath, abruptly pulling her hand away from Harry's shoulder and tearing her gaze from his eyes. A familiar heaviness rose in her stomach, churning and bubbling as it pushed and scraped at her insides. She could sense the shadow of her mother draping itself over her. Black tendrils extended from the black, haired leering face towards her, reeling her in away from Harry's deep, reverberating laughter, his rough, yet soothing touch and his piercing gaze that intoxicated her to no end. Her eager wonder to accompany him to this very room, her unnatural exuberance and burst of desire during the tickling, her patience and desperate concern for Harry's own worries were distant, discarded memories, ready to be forgotten and hidden behind her mother's specter. But a new, sharper sensation cut itself through the boiling heaviness within her stomach. As if another tendril had sprouted from her mother's hideous smile, containing steel, icy blades that carved through her chest, climbing into her throat and ripping at it, threatening to spill over into her mouth.

"Natalie," said Harry, very surprised. "Are you alright?" He reached out to touch her with his hand.

She suddenly noticed his presence, immediately jerking her body away from him, staring at him in shock. And with a terrifying lurch, Natalie knew that unfamiliar sensation. Guilt. Before she could conceal the guilt as a persistent, nagging worry in the corner of her mind, but now, as Harry displayed his sincere concern for her unknown, mysterious problems, the guilt rose with tremendous force, no longer succumbing to Natalie's will. It crystallized a horrible truth in her mind that only encouraged the heaviness in her stomach to fester and grow. Harry cared for her. He wanted to know more about her, about her past and who she was. Yet, she could not tell him and it was undeniably cruel, deceitful and wrong of her to hide from him.

Harry stood up from the settee. "Natalie, I get it," said Harry, his eyes dropping to the floor. The hurt tone in his voice was enough to lift her out of her frightened reverie. "Like you said, you clearly don't feel comfortable telling me about whatever's bothering you. You shouldn't feel forced."

He stared at her fearful expression. "I'll wait outside and let you compose yourself," said Harry, his jaw clenched.

"No," gasped Natalie, using all of her energy to utter that word.

Harry looked at her in confusion. Natalie pushed herself off the settee, stumbling as she moved to Harry. Seeing the wounded expression on Harry's face and the disappointment in his eyes, a wild, desperate worry for him returned to her. She could not let him be entangled with that image of her mother, could not let him fall with her in the relentless spiral of dread and guilt.

"Harry, we can talk about my problems," said Natalie, trying to rid herself of the dazed look.

Harry moved his arms away from her reach. "Natalie, you don't have to talk about anything," said Harry coolly.

Not caring about what Harry thought, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I do want to talk about it."

Harry's expression softened slightly. "Listen, Natalie –"

"No, you listen," said Natalie, pulling Harry with all her might back onto the settee. "We are going to sit down and I will tell you as much as I can about the things you said."

"And we will start with Durmstrang," said Natalie firmly, making sure her eyes stared directly into Harry's green orbs.

"Alright," said Harry throatily, his eyes clouded.

Natalie took a deep breath. She genuinely wanted to tell him about Durmstrang, but with the second subject about her father, she did not know what to say. A part of her wanted to release this secret, unleash it from her, but another voice told her it was her burden. This was the same voice that spurred her protective, intense concern for Harry.

"I never had any friends at Durmstrang," began Natalie, earning a wide eyed look from Harry. "I mean I had people who I enjoyed studying with, but nobody I could trust like you or even Hermione. It's not that the people were particularly malicious or cruel like the Slytherins here, but I was always an outsider. And I never really got off with anybody or found myself in a situation where I could get closer to somebody – I guess I have to thank Dumbledore for bringing me along to see you. I was shy, nervous and I had Kalissa so though I was lonely, I didn't overly crave for friends."

"You have friends here and we're not leaving you," said Harry fiercely, pulling her into a protective hug.

"Thanks Harry," said Natalie as she returned the hug, ingratiating herself with his scent and the full reassurance his presence brought her. For some reason, the shivers and jolts, she would have expected to be extremely powerful, did not seem as sharp or vivid.

Once they pulled back, Harry looked at her with a curious expression. "When we first met, you seemed tense, though I thought that was probably you disliked me. That first night especially and the day after, you were a bit edgy around everybody."

"I suppose I probably gave off that impression. Before met, I wasn't very impressed with all that Chosen One nonsense," said Natalie with a wry smile. "And I didn't have the greatest start to Hogwarts, but that first night, I have to say you really cheered me up by telling McGonagall the truth about what happened. I was expecting you to side with Ginny and that this would be just like Durmstrang."

"Lying to get you in trouble would have been wrong," said Harry with a shrug. "I did notice that when I saw you with Dumbledore, you didn't really believe in all that nonsense the Prophet was spouting. I hope I've grown on you though."

"Oh you definitely have," said Natalie impishly, having to hold herself from adding 'In more than one way.'

"They didn't pick on you at Durmstrang, did they?" said Harry, a dark expression on his face.

Natalie had to stop herself from laughing at his furious look. "No, of course not. Durmstrang is different from here – I'd say they're not as caught up in the pure blood mania –"

"Really?" asked Harry in surprise. "Because I remember Malfoy going on about the place…"

"That's probably because of the emphasis their curriculum places on the Dark Arts,' said Natalie. "Anyway, the reason why they don't mind Muggleborns or Muggles as much is the war with Grindelwald – you know who he is?"

"Yeah, but I thought Dumbledore defeated him."

"Dumbledore did defeat him, but he did most of his terrorizing in Bulgaria – where Durmstrang is. He was like Voldemort in that he wanted to create a world in which wizards ruled over Muggles, so he thrived on the obsession with blood purity. But after that war basically destroyed the country, it showed everybody there the dangers of being too obsessed with blood. As a result, there's no real group that displays hostility to non pure bloods and magical creatures, so I guess you could say the students there are more tolerant. Of course, they have very exclusive cliques and groups since a lot of the kids there have known each other since they were children – I suppose that's what caught me. I really grew up in England and not in Bulgaria so I was basically already a stranger by the time I entered my first year."

"You have us," said Harry with a determined glint. "And I can tell you're definitely not a stranger to Hermione or I or even Ron for that matter."

"Harry, you're too sweet," said Natalie, realizing each of them still had their hands wrapped around each other's waists. Despite the position, Natalie could not detect any tension within her. She enjoyed being under Harry's grasp and if she could, she would rather have him holding her for the rest of the evening.

Natalie then remembered the second topic Harry had mentioned. "I should tell you about my father now, shouldn't I?"

"If you want," said Harry, looking at her cautiously. "It took me so long to talk about your parents so I understand."

Natalie nodded. "I do want to tell you, but I need to get my thoughts sorted out."

Harry nodded, taking his hand off her. A surge of disappointment filled Natalie at the loss of his touch. But taking her once again by surprise, Harry placed his left arm around Natalie's shoulders, letting her head rest against his shoulder.

Natalie breathed once again. She considered letting Harry know her identity. It would be immensely relieving to share the secret. But the tendrils of guilt needling into her sent her sprawling once more. She had managed to resist the guilt from cutting through her anymore with the protectiveness she felt over Harry. Yet, the guilt had already torn through her conscience, making her realize Harry would have to accept her, hiding his identity from her friends. She could not place any more stress on him, add more to his worries. He needed to know about her father but not her mother.

Natalie let out the breath before lifting her head to look at Harry. "My father was a Muggle called David Claggerton. I've never seen him or met him – he was killed by Death Eaters."

Harry gripped her closer to him. He looked at her not in pity but with a sad, knowing expression, a compassionate gaze that comforted Natalie. "I'm so sorry," whispered Harry.

Natalie's eyes were quickly becoming wet. Harry had been so good to her. He deserved to know who she really was, but she could not force him to come to terms and keep such a secret.

"Bellatrix Lestrange killed him," whispered Natalie, shocking herself. She felt the tears breaking through as she forced herself not to say anything more. Shuddering and shaking, Natalie whispered once again, "Bellatrix," as if muttering that word would erase all the pain for her father's death, all the shame drowning her and always forming a barrier around her and now all the guilt that threatened to claw itself way out of her body, revealing it's source to Harry.

Harry brought to her to his chest, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "We'll get her, I promise." Natalie finally released herself, burying her head further in Harry's chest. The tears were coming hard and fast, her body now convulsing terribly as she cried into Harry's t-shirt. Harry's hands remained firmly wrapped her around her, his head in her hair.


	12. Asking Harry

Chapter 12- Asking Harry

"Shall we sit down here?" asked Hermione, pointing to the empty table in front of her.

"I don't see a reason why we shouldn't," replied Natalie, setting her books down on the table. Hermione followed her as they both took seats opposite of one another

"Let's start on Arithmancy, shall we?" said Natalie cheerfully. "Best to get the hard material out of the way."

"You seem awfully happy," said Hermione observantly, taking out her Arithmancy textbook. "And Harry did seem a bit too excited for a Quidditch practice."

Natalie shrugged, smiling to herself as she opened her Arithmancy notes. Her mind somehow wandered to what seemed a constant, ever-present subject: Harry.

Following that night in the Room of Requirement, something seemed to snap between her and Harry. Prior to the evening, it felt as if a thin, taut string connected the two, tightening itself around their interactions, added a tension that held them back. At some point during the evening, whether it was their tickling fight, Harry's confessions about the memory of his parents or Natalie's emotional outburst about her father, the string had become stretched past its breaking point.

With nothing maintaining a firm distance between them, they slowly came closer to each other. There was no desperate rush to reach any type of climactic point, no sense of gravitating towards each other by some unknown pull, but rather, a cautious treading towards one another, infused with a certainty that something undeniably fulfilling was building.

No longer did they stiffen and look away at the slightest of contact. They brushed fingers at meals, let their legs slide against each other in class and in the Great Hall, not minding when their shoulders bumped or locked together. There were more moments in which their hands were only a grasp away, in which their faces leaned closer together and in which their arms found themselves unexpectedly around one another. The jolts of electricity Harry's touch sent coursing through Natalie still held the same exhilarating pleasure, but were devoid of the sharp, piercing fear she previously associated with those pulses.

Their friendship appeared to be constantly layering on itself with each hungry, probing gaze held on longer for a lingering moment, each shared smile that hinted at a deeper fondness and trust for another and each talk within the common room stretching to the late hours of the night in which they treated everything with a jovial, calm ease.

"Just ask Harry, won't you?" asked Hermione in exasperation.

Natalie awoke from her haze of thought. "Ask who?" responded Natalie, feigning bewilderment. They were studying in the library but Natalie had not even looked at her Arithmancy notes. Slughorn's party was in two days, yet ever since the evening in the Room of Requirement, she could not detach itself from the mosaic of possibilities and emotions regarding Slughorn's Christmas party and then the looming idea of her and Harry. Specifically, she could not think freely without pondering whether Harry would accept an invitation from her or if he did, whether his decision would be as a friend or as something more.

She could not keep denying the very real possibility that Harry did reciprocate her romantic feelings. However, she loved the way their friendship had developed since the night in the Room of Requirement, believing with a certain degree of certainty that a relationship would appear. Approaching Harry now, she feared, would break the easy calm contentment that existed between the two.

But she could also feel another emotion cutting through her. It was the same feeling that spurred her decision not to tell Harry about her identity. Occasionally, the guilt would manifest itself fully, carving into Natalie the devastating reality of who she was and in what she was involving an unaware Harry. Whenever she found herself drenched in Harry's presence, the sharpness of the guilt was blunted, causing the piercing emotion to retreat to a corner of her mind, but the protectiveness sprouting from this guilt, accompanied by a desperate willingness to do anything, even sacrifice her own happiness, for Harry, always remained strong, creating a slight uneasiness that held her back.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb. You've been staring into space ever since Harry left for Quidditch practice."

Natalie sighed. She could not hide from Hermione's probing for any length of extended time. "Well it's not like I constantly think of him."

Hermione snorted loudly, causing people at other tables to briefly glance at her in alarm. "Trust me, you do. You fancy him. Admit it."

"Do I really need to say it again? Once is enough," muttered Natalie, slightly disgruntled.

"It, er, helps relieve the tension," remarked Hermione, biting back a laugh.

"And I suppose you know from experience?" asked Natalie scathingly. She immediately regretted the comment.

A dark look peeled into Hermione's eyes. Her face became set into a painful, but angry grimace. "Yes, I do. But for me, relieving the tension means sending a flock of birds at someone."

Natalie laughed. She then said solemnly, "Sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to be nasty."

Hermione smiled. "Don't worry. I just can't control myself when I think about Ron. I should really get over him."

Natalie shook her head at Hermione disapprovingly. "I don't think trying to avoid him is the best way to deal with this. You two need to resolve your problems. It's almost the end of term."

"It's hard to talk to him when he's got his mouth all over _her_," retorted Hermione savagely.

Natalie laughed. "Ok, ok. Let's talk about something else. How about helping me get a start on Arithmancy?"

Hermione smirked. "Oh, you're not going to get me off the subject of a certain Mr. Potter so fast."

"You know, this is starting to become quite annoying. Just say what you want to say," said Natalie irritably.

"Ok. Any dunderhead, except well you know, will see the sense in this. You fancy him. He fancies you. Slughorn's Christmas Party is in two days. So then simple, you ask him. He accepts. You two get together after that," said Hermione, noting each step with a count on her finger.

Natalie felt the familiar pang of excitement at the mention of Harry fancying her. "You're assuming a bit too many things, Hermione. How do you know Harry fancies me? And even if I do ask, how do you know he will say 'yes'? And then what are the chances of us getting together even if we do go to the party?"

Hermione clicked her fingers impatiently. "Honestly, we've been through this for the past two weeks. I know Harry better than you. The way he acts around you is different than anybody else. And when you compliment him, the blush that comes on his face stands out from the other side of the room. So please don't convince yourself that he cannot possibly fancy you."

Natalie absorbed Hermione's words. Harry did act differently around her, but she was not certain he was aware of those differences yet. "Ok so let's say I ask. It's going to be a big shock, especially if he has not realized his supposed feelings. How am I going to deal with that?"

Hermione studied Natalie closely. "He fancies you so even if he doesn't know, when you ask him, he will subconsciously feel pleased and a little surprised. But because he is pleased, he will accept and in the process, realize those feelings. But if it's Harry, he probably knows he fancies you. He's probably feeling the same way you are, right now."

"Subconsciously feel pleased?" asked Natalie skeptically.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "If he has the feelings which I'm almost sure he does, it will show, but what I'm saying is that someone needs to make a move. And Slughorn's party is the perfect opportunity to make that move."

Hermione's words struck a chord with Natalie. If she simply let their friendship build, both of their feelings would continue to remain hidden. For a relationship to appear, they could not assume the desires would emerge once they had slid close enough to one another. Someone needed to take the risk, accepting the very real possibility of failure. Natalie knew she would be absolutely crushed if Harry did not return her feelings, but she could not stop denying that what she wanted the most was a relationship with him. More importantly, Harry deserved to know her feelings, regardless of how he felt. As much as she reveled in their current warmth and ease with one another, hiding something of that magnitude could only prove detrimental.

The guilt also began to entrench itself more firmly in her chest, bringing the stinging truth of her mother's identity to the forefront of her mind. A frantic desire arose to keep Harry away from the terrible combination of anger, shame and sadness she suffered because of her mother.

"You see what I'm saying?" said Hermione intently, obviously taking Natalie's silence as an indication of an agreement.

Natalie sighed. "Yes, I understand, but I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"It won't Natalie," said Hermione wearily. "Harry and you are too close now for something like that to occur. And anyway, I'm almost certain Harry likes you."

Hermione's words thrust Natalie into another contemplative silence. Hermione was right. Harry and her had somehow reached a point where separating would be almost unbearable. And then completely unexpectedly, something clicked in her head, understanding momentarily flashing through her mind.

She and Harry wanted to be this close; they enjoyed every moment, whether it was a brush of the fingers, a secret smile only reserved for each other, the companionable silences, or a long, poignant, yet completely easy conversation. Neither one wanted to regress from the other, falling back to those uncomfortable pauses, the friendly, but staggered chatter and the extreme embarrassment at any touch. They were gliding towards each other simply because no other path would satisfy them. She had feared that in a relationship, eventually, they would reach the stage where Harry had to confront her identity, dealing with the maelstrom of emotions and suffering her mother brought. But now, she realized with painstaking clarity that romantically or not, they would inevitably arrive at that point. She almost laughed, knowing with a strong conviction that her desperate urge to keep Harry separate from her mother was utterly futile now.

Suddenly, Natalie reached her decision. As Hermione said, someone had to take the initiative. And thinking about it objectively, she had no reason not to confess her feelings to Harry. The only drawback appeared to be the initial awkwardness if the feelings were not mutual, but with a strange calmness, Natalie knew the awkwardness between them would not last for long.

"Natalie, have I lost you again?" said Hermione impatiently, waving her hands in front of her friend's face.

Natalie blinked her eyes, lifting herself again out of her reverie. "Sorry about that, Hermione. You were saying?"

"Are you going to tell Harry?" said Hermione, tapping her fingers on the desk.

"You mean ask him to Slughorn's party?" said Natalie with a coy smile.

"You are," stated Hermione, her eyes widening.

At Natalie's lack of response, Hermione laughed loudly, earning a few glares from other students in the library.

"Will you keep it down?" muttered Natalie. "Pince will be here soon enough." As Natalie completed her sentence, Madam Pince swept over them, glaring disapprovingly at Hermione who was trying to keep a stoic expression.

Once Pince left, Hermione broke out into quieter fits of laughter.

"I'm trying to see how you find any of this funny," said Natalie irritably.

"Oh, it is," commented Hermione, wiping her eyes. "You seemed so set against it minutes ago."

Natalie sighed, mulling over her decision. The logic seemed flawless, but she could not escape the uneasy sensation that perhaps pure reasoning and her own feelings about her friendship with Harry were not enough.

"It will work and you'll both be glowing tomorrow morning," said Hermione firmly, closing her book.

Hermione's eyes again widened. "Oh, here Harry comes. Ask him, now. I hear Romilda Vane is planning to give him a love potion. At least save him from that," whispered Hermione, waving at Harry.

"Oh no," muttered Natalie frantically.

Hermione gave her a hard, stern look, worthy of McGonagall. "Do it."

She then stood up, picked her books and quickly walked out of the library, leaving Natalie nervously staring at her notes. Her heart raced against her chest. Her stomach began to churn with the familiar sensation of apprehension and excitement.

Natalie felt a tap on her shoulders, causing her face to break out in a smile. "Why did Hermione leave?" asked Harry, a puzzled look on his face.

"Oh, er, she wanted to ask Professor Vector some questions," said Natalie a bit too shakily, trying to conceal the blush that was rapidly forming on her face.

Harry did not notice. He took a seat across from her, taking out his books.

"So, how was practice?" asked Natalie tentatively, wondering how she could phrase her question.

"Same as usual. Team's getting better," replied Harry casually.

"Er, Harry?" asked Natalie in a barely audible voice.

Harry lifted his head, looking at her worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

"Will you go to Slughorn's party with me?" blurted Natalie. After she had asked the question, she jerked her head down, planting her gaze firmly on the tabletop. Stupid idiot. She had no tact, whatsoever. This was completely unromantic. Even Hermione's logic might not hold with such an unexpected question. He would say no or avoid the question and she would be left to wallow in her excruciating shame.

"Er, yeah sure," said Harry slowly.

Natalie immediately lifted her head. She stared at him with an astounded, confused expression. He twisted in his seat.

"What did you just say?" demanded Natalie.

"I said yes, I think," replied Harry, looking slightly intimidated. The blank, stunned apprehension on his face mirrored that of Natalie. He did not seem too pleased. Could he have heard her properly?

"Did you hear my question?" asked Natalie, gazing at him hopefully.

"Er, I think so. You asked me if I wanted to go to Slughorn's party with you. And I said 'yes'."

"So you said yes to the question I just asked?" continued Natalie, her reasonable conscience wanting to be certain that he had accepted her invitation. She felt like a person who had almost succeeded in an extremely difficult task, but could not let herself become misled by an early dose of happiness.

A frown nudged its way onto Harry's features. "I think I've answered that already. Why are you talking in riddles? The question was random, but to make it crystal clear to you, I do want to go to Slughorn's party with you. Is that fine or am I set for another round of interrogation?"

Despite the frustrated tone in his voice, Natalie let out a sigh she did not know she was containing. Joy, elation and relief filled her. She gave him her strongest smile.

"No, I think I'm done with interviewing you. Sorry about the randomness of the question. It's been on my mind for a few days." Natalie found herself saying these words, consciously marveling at her own honesty and recklessness.

Harry returned Natalie's smile with a sly grin. "Looks like we think the same. Because I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

Natalie placed her hand over her mouth. She could not believe what was happening between them. The situation felt strangely familiar as if she had always known their relationship had these underlying feelings. But at the same time, the plain, tense and crystalline atmosphere of reality that had entrenched itself into her life had become replaced by a serene image of Harry, saturated in her desperate obsession with him.

Natalie somehow managed to separate herself from these newfound sensations and talk to Harry. She removed her hand from its position to rest it on the tabletop, quite close to Harry's hands. "Really? That's quite interesting. Well, you know my answer," whispered Natalie.

The ease and silent confidence in her words surprised her. She felt like a musical instrument, the type Muggles like. She could just let words flow out of her mouth. No conscious or analytical thought. Her words would shape, blend and mold themselves into a beautiful entity that could only have a positive impact on her and Harry.

Harry chuckled. A gentle, soft laugh that made Natalie want to snog him senseless. "I guess that's settled, then."

"I don't think either of us was aware when it needed to be settled." Natalie became painfully aware that she had been watching too many of Kalissa's Muggle soap operas. Their cliché lines were starting to intrude on her proper train of thought.

Harry gave her a thoughtful look. "I suppose you're right. I don't really know what happened."

An entire field of emotion and thought became clear to Natalie. Harry had experienced or more likely, endured the same uncertainty, embarrassment and fear that had dominated her thoughts for much of the term. She laughed at herself for being so closed minded. Hermione was right.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry, nervously looking around.

"Nothing. Just, Hermione said this would happen."

Harry smirked. "Hermione is right about a lot of things that don't include Ron."

"And I don't think our 'thing' included Ron at all," quipped Natalie.

"Not at all. Would be pretty weird if it did."

Both laughed at the absurdity of this statement.

They continued, poking at one another, both aware of the boundary that had been crossed. Natalie felt as if she had undergone a transformation, become changed in a purified, satisfactory way.

After they had done studying for potions, they began to walk back to the common room. Natalie was far too conscious of the very small distance between their hands. She wanted to grip some part of him, but did not know if he would object or not.

Harry resolved Natalie's inner squabbles as he suddenly placed his right hand over her left hand. Natalie shuddered at the warmth and tenderness in his hand despite all of his calluses and scars from Quidditch. She tightened her hold on his hand. They continued to walk silently back to the common room, both reveling in each other's presence.

Before they reached the Fat Lady, Harry released Natalie's hand and turned to her. "This is going to sound stupid. I want to make sure. We're not going as friends, are we?" His voice had a serious, cautious edge to it.

Natalie gaped at him in a combination of amusement, anger and fear. "That has to be the stupidest question I've ever seen. After seeing the past two hours, I think you should be able to answer that question by yourself."

Harry laughed. "Good. Because if you said 'no', I might have hexed myself into oblivion."

"I might do that to you if you ask another question like that."

"So how do you want to go about with this?"

Natalie paused to consider the dilemma they both faced. She could or would not let herself glide into this problem even though that same approach had worked for asking Harry out. She needed to analyze and scrutinize their situation.

"Well, I definitely don't want to be like Ron and Lavender."

Harry snorted. "I can tell you for certain that that will not be happening."

"But at the same time, we or well, you should make it known that we're going together for Slughorn's party. However, I don't know if it would be wise to make it a certain fact that we're going out. I don't want your entire fan club having me on their hit list."

Harry grinned at her. "See what you mean. I wouldn't want the entire wizarding world to be examining your every move because you're dating the _Boy who Lived_."

"Honestly, Harry, you're getting cockier each day. But that's kind of what I'm saying. So you agree with me? We could make it known probably some time after Christmas."

Harry nodded. Natalie could see the compassion, understanding in his eyes. "No problem. I want some private time too. Not like Lavender and Ron who have the whole school goggling at them."

"Trust me Harry. We will not be like that."

Harry smiled at her. He then leaned towards her and kissed her on the corner of her lips. Natalie could feel the heat radiating from her skin. She slowly touched the spot by her mouth he had pressed his lips upon.

"Thanks," whispered Natalie, amazed.

"I had to say goodnight without the rest of the house staring. Let's go in, shall we?"

"Definitely," said Natalie, still paralyzed by the kiss.

And then, they both proceeded to walk through the portrait and enter the Gryffindor common room.


	13. Slughorn's Party

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers! And thanks very much to my sister for grinding through the last 2 chapters, wheedling out all grammar mistakes. Apparently, in one of the chapters, I changed Natalie's name to Natalia- good thing she noticed that error.

Anyway, I've been receiving some questions about when Natalie will tell Harry about Bellatrix and when she will meet Bellatrix. Both will be happening soon I promise.

Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own nothing of the wizarding world.

Chapter 13-Slughorn's Party

Natalie stared at herself in the mirror with a mixture of pride, embarrassment and fear. Unusually for her, she had spent an excessive amount of time obsessing over her appearance and clothes for Slughorn's party tonight. Looking at her reflection, Natalie had to concede that she and Hermione's incessant worrying, modifying and checking had worked quite well.

Hermione had decided upon a light brown set of dress robes for Natalie that gave off a slight twinkle. The robes clung to her body in a very feminine but elegant manner, accentuating the curves and bulges that she was surprised to see. The neckline was just low enough so that she seemed seductive, but also classy. The plainness of the brown added a conservative touch to her dress robes, ensuring in Natalie's mind, that she would not attract unwanted attention. She quickly turned her eyes upon her face. To her resentment, she had allowed Hermione to apply expensive designer make up. Thankfully, her face was not grossly exaggerated. She had subtle traces of powder and collage that caused her face to adopt a clean, radiant and effervescent look. Hermione's lipstick, a mixture of red and pink, provided her lips with a sensuous, delicate quality. She looked up to gaze fondly at her hair. The straightening potion she had brewed had been quite effective. Her black hair had lost its wavy, disconnected appearance to be replaced by a sleek, shiny look. To her satisfaction, the locks streamed gracefully and effortlessly down her back. The light danced with her hair, seeping into the gaps and carving out fine lines along her strands. She hoped that sparkling dynamic would give her a lighthearted, playful tone. In short, her entire mind was bent on evoking any sort of pleasure from Harry.

"Now remember, don't slouch your shoulders and don't look so nervous. You're going to a party and not a supper with Snape," said Hermione seriously.

Natalie laughed lightly. "I think I'd be less nervous having supper with Snape."

Hermione straightened her robes, surveying herself in the mirror. "Think I'll have to tidy up for tonight as well."

Natalie turned to her with a guilty expression on her face. "Sorry for bothering you so much. You really should go have a shower and dress up."

Hermione sighed. "I honestly don't know what I'm dressing up for. To hear a 'hundred reasons about why I am so great' by Cormac McLaggen."

Natalie smirked at the resigned, cynical tone in Hermione's voice. "You know, it is partly your fault for accepting his invitation. If only you weren't so caught up with hurting –"

"Alright, alright. I don't need another lecture," muttered Hermione irritably. "I'm just going to have a wash and put on some decent robes that don't smell like musty, old books. By the way, you look great. Harry will love you." She walked out of the room, heading for the toilets.

Natalie heard faint footsteps behind her. Natalie frowned. She supposed Hermione had forgotten to instruct her on some little eccentricity about romance or wanted a last touch on her clothes. But instead of Hermione, the hard, jaunty outline of Ginny appeared at the doorway. Ginny's face had the familiar resentful, fiery note, but also this time, a determined glint.

"I see you've dressed up for tonight's _big date._" Ginny's voice sounded serious and cool, but the extra emphasis on the last word infused her comment with mocking sarcasm, infuriating Natalie. Hermione's description of Ginny's previous infatuation with Harry had done nothing to quell Natalie's grudge for the girl. Even though Hermione asserted that the attraction to Harry was over, Natalie had the nasty suspicion that Ginny still harbored romantic feelings for Harry and that Natalie's relationship with Harry had given life to jealousy on the other girl's part.

"So you really do like Harry, don't you?" said Ginny calmly.

"What's it to you anyway?" retorted Natalie. She could not keep her tone from becoming belligerent and challenging.

"Nothing. So what about him do you like, _Malkae_? The eyes? The fact that he's the Boy Who Lived?" asked Ginny curiously

Natalie's mouth tightened into a hard curve. The abusive use of Natalie's name did nothing to assuage the rising fury within Natalie. But most troubling to Natalie, Ginny's question had a definite, well calculated purpose behind it. And that purpose involved a far too keen interest in Harry.

Natalie decided to try to maintain her calm and finally try to expose Ginny's true sentiments for Harry. "Ginny, you seem to have given this topic a fair bit of thought. Odd, isn't it? I mean, for you to give so much of your spare time to Harry's relationship with me when you have a boyfriend who has no trouble showing his affection for you."

Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't try to play with me. I'm concerned for Harry's well being. He doesn't know how _you people can be_."

Natalie immediately rotated her entire body to face Ginny, the loathsome and cold expression on her face mirroring Ginny's look. "If you haven't realized yet Ginny, I too am worried about Harry. I care for him as much I have cared for anyone. And I want to be with him. You seem to have a problem with him starting a romantic relationship with me. Sort out whatever feelings you have because judging from his behavior with me, he desires the same thing I do," stated Natalie slowly and firmly.

The blazing glare on Ginny's face evaporated. She looked at Natalie, confused and pained. She then turned around and quickly exited the room, leaving Natalie to wonder whether her words were too harsh. She did not feel triumphant, but slightly overwhelmed at the thought of competing for Harry with this dynamic, beautiful girl who had just silently declared the nature of her attitude towards Harry.

Natalie heaved a sigh she did not know she was containing. She absently brushed a hand through her hair, straightened her robes and stepped out of the room. She walked into the toilets, anxiously hoping that Hermione was done. Her stomach was beginning to bubble and churn.

When she entered the toilettes, she saw a flushed Hermione, hair still wet after a shower, glancing at herself in the mirror. Considering that she had five minutes of preparation and that her date was Cormac McLaggen, Hermione looked quite attractive. She had chosen a slightly darker brown for her dress robes, obviously not too keen on impressing McLaggen. The robes too clung to her body, highlighting her quickly maturing body. But Natalie was impressed and slightly envious at Hermione's confidence in her appearance. As Hermione turned around to speak to Natalie, Natalie could see the firm and rigid alignment of her shoulders, the raised head and chin and the certainty in her eyes. Hermione seemed to assert the feminism of her image, rather than peel into it like Natalie.

"Ready to go?" asked Natalie, her voice fading slightly.

"Yeah. Do you think I should have prepared more? I mean it's not like I'm head over heels for McLaggen," asked Hermione, gazing at herself casually.

"Nah, you look great. Anyway it's not him that you're bawling over," quipped Natalie cheekily.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her. "Shall we get going? You wouldn't want to keep the Chosen One waiting. So please explain to me, why are you meeting him outside of the Common room?"

Natalie fidgeted with her cuffs. "Er, I didn't want to make a big scene in the Common room. And with lots of people looking at you and McLaggen, I could almost blend in until I meet Harry."

As they left the toilettes and walked down the stairs, Hermione muttered, "You and Harry are treating this 'date thing' like its some sort of secret mission. Makes sense, I guess. Practically the whole school suspects that you two are going out. If it 'is confirmed', then there might be a 'I hate Natalie' club."

Natalie laughed. Her heart had taken a large leap at the mention of her and Harry 'going out'. They reached the bottom of the stairs and the Common room. Hermione motioned to McLaggen, who was eagerly waiting for Hermione by the stairs. He grinned at Hermione oafishly, holding out his hand for her. Hermione reluctantly took the hand, letting herself be guided through the portrait hole. Natalie spotted quite a furious, stunned Ron staring at the two from near the fireplace with Lavender frantically trying to smash her lips onto his face. Natalie shook her head, following Hermione and McLaggen outside.

Natalie's heart was striking her chest at far too a feverish rate. She realized that any moment now, she would come upon Harry. They turned a corner and there was Harry.

He gaped at her. His eyes were glazed, his mouth at least a quarter of inch open. Natalie shifted very nervously. She did not know whether he was shocked at the sophistication and formality of her dress or repulsed by it.

"You look…absolutely…stunning," stammered Harry. "Stunning," he repeated foolishly.

Natalie flushed in pure pleasure. Out of the side of her eyes, she saw Hermione smile at her while briskly, pulling McLaggen away.

"Er, shall we get going? You look very nice too, Harry," said Natalie, taking in Harry's appearance. He had made a concerted and rather unsuccessful effort to comb his hair. It looked even more unruly and detangled. But his robes were an unblemished, bright green. His eyes had that sparkling, intense glint that made Natalie's heartbeat race.

"Thanks," mumbled Harry, still gazing at Natalie. He finally managed to pull himself out of the reverie, nervously gripping Natalie's hand. Natalie let her hand slide into his. Like they had done so many times this week, the link felt complete and perfect.

"So, ready for the party?" asked Harry tentatively.

"I hope so."

"What does that mean?" Harry had an absolute smirk on his face.

Natalie grinned. She was glad that their interaction had returned to its usual banter. "Well, you know, that I don't make a fool of myself in front of the 'wizarding royalty' that Slughorn has invited. And plus with the Chosen One as a date, making a fool of myself wouldn't be very good at all."

"Definitely not. I'm just curious as to how Slughorn's parties are."

"Don't worry. He'll certainly be fawning over you. People might start thinking that he's your date."

Harry grinned at her. "Let's hope he does not try to hold hands with me. But seriously, what are these parties like?"

Natalie shrugged. "Just basically a way for Slughorn to please himself. He invites all of these famous people who he claims to have harnessed and developed so that the rest of the idiots in the club can gawp at him. But anyway, the food's quite good and he goes out of his way to decorate. It's a nice change from the standard day at Hogwarts."

"I thought you liked Hogwarts."

As they walked to the dungeons, Natalie ignored the jealous and resentful stares that were being sent in her direction. "Well I do. But it's still a school. You can't spend each day reading books and doing homework."

Harry laughed. "Hermione does that."

"No, she does not. She's quite a popular and attractive girl, if you and Ron haven't bothered to notice. The fact that she could get McLaggen to go out with her shows something." Natalie found herself taking a very defensive stance against Harry's gentle mocking of Hermione. She had not realized how close she and the bushy-haired girl had become.

Harry frowned. "Oh no, I know about Hermione's reputation in the school. And trust me, Ron knows too. There's a reason no bloke will even try to flirt with Hermione if he's with her. Or should I say was with her." Harry shook his head in sadness. "You know, the only reason Hermione went out with McLaggen was to piss Ron off. Geez. Forget about Voldemort. Those two will my downfall."

Natalie gave his hand a slight squeeze, surprising herself and causing him to turn a dark shade of red. "They'll get through it. Once Ron realizes that Lavender's only good for a wrestling match and once Hermione realizes she can't forget about Ron, they'll fall into each other's arms."

"I suppose so. But anyway, we shouldn't be talking about their problems. I want to spend as much time as I can, erm, appreciating the moment," said Harry, his sentence fading off.

A jolt of electricity ran down Natalie's spine. She squeezed his hand even more tightly and before they descended the steps to the dungeons, she kissed him on the cheek. Harry looked at her with another dazed expression but this time, his lips were slightly parted. Natalie could feel their faces creeping closer to another. Their eyes were focused squarely on one another, full of devouring passion. Her entire body was coursing with anticipation.

"I don't need your help," said a familiar, angry drawling voice on the other side of the corner.

Both Natalie and Harry jumped from each other, turning towards the voice. Harry grabbed Natalie and pulled her down the steps into an empty classroom. They could still hear that frustrated voice and another calmer and softer one.

"Draco, the assignment you have been given is extremely difficult. And so far your attempts at the task have been very careless."

Harry looked at Natalie, his eyes wide. Natalie nodded. Snape and Malfoy. She could not help, but feel irritated at how Harry's complete attention diverted towards the pair talking. Only a moment ago, they had on the verge of crossing the biggest barrier in their relationship. It seemed that the kiss they almost started was inconsequential and trivial to Harry in comparison to his obsession with exposing the Death Eater characteristics of Malfoy.

"I'll repeat myself. I don't need and I don't want your help. I don't care if my mother made you take the Unbreakable vow. I have a plan that will work," stated Malfoy defiantly.

"If that plan involves Crabbe and Goyle, then I'm afraid its chances of success have just taken a huge drop," sneered Snape.

"I don't need your snide comments. You just want to take my glory."

Snape snorted. "Honestly Draco, where have your brains gone? You cannot afford mistakes Draco because if you are expelled –"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

"I hope you are telling the truth because what happened was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" said Malfoy irately. "For the last time, I had nothing to do with whatever the hell happened to Bell, ok?"

Natalie's jaw hardened. She could see Harry clench his fists next to her.

"Let me help you." There was a pleading tone to Snape's voice that took Natalie by surprise.

"No! Now leave me alone and go spy on Dumbledore. That's what you're good for, isn't it?"

Natalie heard Malfoy pull away from Snape's grasp and march off. His loud exit was followed by the rushed footsteps of Snape.

As soon as they had both left, Natalie left the empty the classroom, walking to Slughorn's party by herself. She did not bother to turn around at the hurried running after her.

"Hey, what's wrong Natalie?" asked Harry, catching up to her and grabbing her shoulder.

"Pretty interesting to find out that Malfoy's been up to something, isn't it?" said Natalie sarcastically.

"Well, yeah, of course he has," stated Harry triumphantly.

"Very well deduced, Detective Potter," hissed Natalie, trying to jerk herself from his firm hold.

A sudden wave of realization washed over Harry's face. Instantly, his features softened into a regretful, agitated expression. "Oh, I'm so sorry Natalie. I have to be the world's biggest prat. Obsessing over Malfoy when we were about to –"

"Yes, you are the world's biggest idiot," spat Natalie scathingly.

Harry placed his hands over his face. "What a selfish, arrogant git you must think I am. How could I let myself get caught up with Snape and Malfoy?" He moaned. "Especially when this is the one day I've been dreaming about for months," muttered Harry disgustedly.

Natalie jerked her head towards Harry. A burst of warmth immediately filled her. Again, his honest, yet very sensitive demeanor stunned her. She quickly stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I don't blame you for wanting to get Malfoy. But let's just have a good time, tonight?" stated Natalie firmly.

Harry looked up. Natalie was relieved to see a sneaky grin on his face. "What is your definition of a 'good time'?"

Natalie hit him reproachfully on the shoulders. "Honestly, Harry. You are an emotional rollercoaster. Let's just go to the party. I do believe we're quite late."

Harry sighed. "Yeah sure."

They entered Slughorn's office which had become twisted into one of the most nostalgic and suffocating glorifications of Christmas. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room, crowded and stuffy, was bathed in the red light cast by ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light.

"Harry, m'boy. You have finally come. And you, Miss Malkae, look positively enrapturing!" boomed Slughorn, suddenly appearing at their side. He was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket. Natalie felt suddenly very nauseous.

Natalie smiled at Slughorn. Harry twitched nervously. "It's very nice, Professor," he said uncertainly.

"There are many people I'd like you to meet!" announced Slughorn to the entire room.

Natalie tried to be aware of the fact that many people were looking in her direction with slightly curious and befuddled expressions on their face.

Gripping Harry's arm so tightly that he might have been hoping to Disapparate with him, Slughorn led Harry purposefully into the party. Harry seized Natalie's hand, dragging her along with him.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of _Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires_ – and of course his friend, Sanguini."

After about half an hour of watching Harry unsuccessfully attempting to converse with Slughorn's excited visitors, Natalie spotted Hermione in a distant corner of the room, seemingly trying to hide behind a sparkling Christmas tree. Natalie pinched Harry, beckoning towards Hermione. Both of them walked over to the very edgy girl.

"Whoa, Hermione. What happened? Your hair's a mess," said Natalie worriedly. She did not perceive to be the type who engaged in those types of encounters on a date with someone she detested.

"Oh. I've just escaped. I mean I've just left Cormac," she said. "Under the mistletoe," she added in an undertone as they both continued to look questioningly at her.

"Serves you right for coming with him," Harry told her severely.

"I told you, Hermione. McLaggen wasn't looking for just a friendly companion," stated Natalie critically.

"I know. I know. McLaggen makes Grawp look like a gentleman. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming, he's so tall…"

The three of them made their way over to the other side of the room, scooping up goblets of mead on the way, realizing too late that Professor Trelawney was standing there alone.

"Good evening, my dear. I see they're calling you the Chosen One now," said Professor Trealwaney, focusing upon Harry with considerable difficulty. Natalie got the distinct smell of cooking sherry.

"Er, yeah. It's just the Daily Prophet. So, er, how's Divination?"

Professor Trelawney clumsily placed a hand on the table to keep her balance. "You would have thought, would you not, that now I am returned to the school Professor Dumbledore might have got rid of the horse? But no…we share classes. It's an insult, frankly an insult. Do you know…"

"Well, yeah. He seems pretty knowledgeable," said Harry awkwardly.

Trelawney gave a loud, drunken snort. "Knowledgeable, my arse!"

"Ah, there he is!" shrieked Hermione. Natalie swiveled her head to see the lanky Gryffindor navigating through the crowd of guests in their direction. Hermione instantly disappeared. Natalie barely saw her mane of bushy hair pass through a side entrance into Slughorn's office.

As Trelawney tried to balance herself against the table, Harry whispered in Natalie's ear, "Let's get out of here before Slughorn comes and gives me another tour. I don't want to speak to McLaggen either."

Natalie gave a relieved smile. "Thank goodness. This party's really starting to get on my nerves."

They both inconspicuously walked through another side door and then rapidly up the stairs and out of the dungeons. They almost ran to the Gryffindor tower. As they reached the corridor adjacent to the portrait of the Fat Lady, both stopped.

Harry smiled shyly at Natalie. "Sorry about the party but at least now we –"

The gentle, apologetic tone in Harry's voice gave rise to a wild rush of intensity within Natalie's chest. She did not consider at all the explicit implications of her movements, but suddenly she leaned towards Harry and placed her lips on his. Harry, taken aback, steadied her shoulders with his hands, but then eagerly reciprocated the kiss, holding her tightly to his body. The initial moments were slow and tentative as they positioned themselves around each other. Then Natalie, unable to control her desire, parted her lips. Almost immediately, Harry responded, extending his tongue to meet her tongue. The kiss rapidly became fiercer and more urgent, each trying to be as close to the other as possible. Natalie, so immersed in enjoying the touch of Harry's body, did not notice him gently pull them towards a classroom and close the door.

Natalie did not know how long they kissed. But it was the deepest, most revealing and exposing moment she had shared with another person. As the kiss progressed, she started to become conscientiously aware of the savage intent in their actions. Harry was now running his hands up and down her back. She herself had taken to rubbing his chest. They were both positioned rather snugly on one of the desks, getting dangerously closer to something Natalie did not yet want to enjoy. But the penetrating calmness and numb bliss that came with the kiss prevented her from being sheepish. Their interaction seemed to release and pour forth all of the minor struggles, fears and anxieties that had crept into their relationship. The entire outline of each one's emotional state was being unfolded for the other to pander through. Nothing seemed unordinary or inadequate but rather, Natalie felt a sharp clarity, a promise of something greater and more elusive, washing over her. Later, she realized what that sensation was. Hope.

Then slowly, Harry pulled back. He had that familiar guilty expression that had caused Natalie to instigate the kiss. Natalie, still absorbed in the previous five or so minutes, looked blankly at Harry with a mixture of alarm and irritation.

"Sorry. I lost control for a bit," said Harry quietly. A sneaky grin slowly surfaced on his features. "But it was rather enjoyable. Very nice."

Natalie returned the smirk. "Excellent. I didn't know kissing was one of your talents, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes at her in mock disdain. "You didn't think I would be like Ron, did you? If I bit your face, I just might kill myself."

Natalie laughed. She then looked at him slightly more seriously. "So do you want to stay here for the rest of the night? I gather that you don't want to re-enact the previous encounter in front of the rest of the common room."

Harry grinned. "Again, not like Ron." He gazed around the room as if this location, however inherently plain and uninteresting, had just transformed into something transcendent and utterly exotic. Natalie felt the identical way. "I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea, staying here. Just wait here, though. I'll go and get us some blankets and some other things, too."

Natalie looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. "What other things? Harry, I trust that you know that I didn't come on this date with you to read books and do homework."

Harry gave a large, hearty laugh that made Natalie's stomach churn in excitement. "Of course not. You'll see."

He quickly ran out of the classroom. She heard him hurriedly mutter the password to the Fat Lady and cross the portrait. Natalie, left to herself, could not diverge her moment from her recent experience. It was the closest she had ever become to someone. She positively loved kissing Harry. Allowing herself to open up like that and essentially become naked to both their passions was surprisingly extremely gratifying and fulfilling, not at all shameful or impure. She was determined to become ingrained in the present moment and not dwell on the multitude of possibilities that lay behind this kiss. She knew that hope was a tantalizing and often deluding entity. Better to let everything occur and not worry too much.

Suddenly, Harry appeared out of thin air. In front of a completely stunned Natalie, he leaped towards her with a sloppy kiss on the mouth.

"Harry!" gasped Natalie, laughing. "You have to stop doing that, honestly."

Harry threw the cloak at her, a smug grin on his face. "Scaring the wits out of you has its advantages."

Harry handed the cloak over to her. Still staring at it with an exasperated expression, Natalie spread her hands through the cloak, marveling at its indomitable glow.

Natalie's hands fell upon something with sharp edges and a well defined shape. She lifted her hand to see a picture of a man and a woman with the woman holding a one-year-old child in her arms. The man had the familiar ruffled, messy black hair and disjointed spectacles. The woman had radiant red hair, a sleek, shiny face and a well curved body. Both the man and woman shifted between gazing lovingly at each and their child, who was constantly fiddling with his mother's hair and laughing.

"Your parents," Natalie mouthed in shock.

Harry almost instantly came over, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He frowned, an embarrassed look on his face. "Oh yeah. Sorry. Was looking at it before. Forget to take it out."

"Your mother's beautiful," whispered Natalie in awe. She truly was. Natalie had never come across anyone with such an effervescent, dynamic charm about her. Her smile was one of those rarefied smiles that understands a person the way they want to be viewed. She seemed to pick out Natalie's strengths and seemingly carve out a vision using those same qualities, completing ignoring the obvious flaws. More than anything, the deep, thoughtful green eyes that Natalie had come to dream about dominated this women's image. She seemed to be one of those people, like Dumbledore, who identifies completely with everything that is good in the world. Dumbledore had told her that it was the love of Harry's mother that had saved him from Voldemort. Natalie had slightly doubted the power of love to block the Killing Curse, but looking at this woman, there was absolutely no doubt that her love could resist anything evil and detestable.

"I know," said Harry, pushing his face into Natalie's hair. Natalie carefully placed the picture in the cloak. She then brought Harry's face close to her and kissed him passionately. It was going to be an interesting night.


	14. A Christmas Surprise

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers of the last two chapters! And again, thanks to my sister for editing this chapter.

I hope you enjoy this chapter- it took a long time to edit so there likely won't be another chapter coming till tomorrow.

Note: As I've said in some of my replies, I will be going away on Friday for 2 and a half weeks so there will be a 2 week break in the story.

Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own nothing of the wizarding world.

Chapter 14- A Christmas Surprise

"Wow. This looks absolutely delicious, Kalissa," exclaimed Natalie in awe at the vast spread of dishes her guardian had prepared for Christmas supper.

On the day before the end of the school term, Natalie had apparated alongside Professor McGonagall into the forest just outside of Kalissa's very new and secretive home where she now gaped at the thick, juicy turkey in front of her. The secluded and almost paranoid nature of the house, that included over two dozen security, invisible, repellant and shield charms as well as the forest that wrapped around the house, gave Natalie the constant impression that she was living within a hidden corner of a closed box. Kalissa's presence, however, made such an isolated life seem inconsequential. Natalie felt in a state of pure comfort and bliss. It was a different type of exhilaration, one of familiarity, than the exciting and intimate moments she and Harry had shared prior to the holidays.

"Not any different than any other previous Christmas," said Kalissa modestly.

"You really have outdone yourself. I don't think the House Elves at Hogwarts could top this," remarked Minerva McGonagall admirably. She had come to Kalissa's new home two days ago to stay till the end of the Christmas holdiay. The company of her best friend only placed Kalissa in an even cheerier, more exuberant mood. For Natalie, the last few evenings, with the other two's fond memories and reminiscences resembled a very relaxed, undisturbed family reunion.

"Minerva, you did help, you know. Please don't make me seem like sort of goddess."

"I don't think preparing the potatoes and yams constitutes as help," said Minerva disparagingly.

"So Natalie, I still haven't heard about what's going on between you and Harry Potter," asked Kalissa, catching Minerva's eye and grinning mischievously.

Natalie shook her head. She had been daftly evading that topic. Kalissa knew that she and Harry had become friends, but she had yet to know the full extent of their relationship. However, Natalie suspected that Minerva may have been filling in the cracks for Kalissa.

"Nothing. We're just friends and I'm happy about that. He's much nicer than anyone at Durmstrang."

As they began to dish the food onto each other's plates, Kalissa turned toward Natalie. "So, did you two go to Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party as friends? Because from what I remember of his parties, nobody went to them as friends," said Kalissa with that condescending, all knowing and slightly sarcastic air that Natalie often found very annoying.

"How did you know about Slughorn's party?" asked Natalie sharply though she already knew the answer.

"Oh, I have my contacts, my dear. Don't think I've been living in isolation these past few months," said Kalissa, again with that airy, mocking tone.

Natalie glared at Minerva who merely laughed. "Ok, we are, er –"

"Going out?" offered Kalissa waspishly.

"Please don't interrupt me. But yes, we are, but, er, I'd like to keep it a secret," stated Natalie, her cheek becoming increasingly redder.

"You and Harry Potter, eh? I'd never thought of it," remarked Kalissa casually, but her look of eagerness belied the feigned indifference.

Natalie stared down at her food, her face radiating heat. "Me either."

Kalissa laughed. "Natalie, there's no need to be embarrassed. Almost half the wizarding world would like to be in your position."

"The crowd Potter attracts in the school, you'd be stupid to be prancing about like Brown and Weasley," said Minerva amusedly.

"I'd imagine he'd get quite a fan club."

"Trust me, he does. Last year, he was the school nut and now he's the savior of our world."

Kalissa shook her head. "Teenagers. It was worse when we were in school. But Natalie, judging by Minerva's news, you might have made some girls very jealous."

"That's why I want to keep it as inconspicuous as possible."

"Wait, isn't Molly's daughter one of Potter's friends and didn't you –"

Minerva looked reproachfully at Natalie. "Yes it was, on the first night of school, none the least. That was a very foolish thing to do, Natalie."

Kalissa laughed. "Minerva, I don't think you need to be the teacher here. So what does that girl think?"

Natalie took a rather large gulp of her pumpkin juice. She did not know whether she should tell Kalissa about Ginny and specifically, about her suspicions regarding Ginny's attitude towards Harry. She could give a condensed version. "Er, well, she and I don't get along so well. And she knows about me and Harry. I don't think her view of me improved that much with that news."

Suddenly, Kalissa's body stiffened. Minerva also tensed.

"What's wrong?" asked Natalie, slightly alarmed. Almost immediately after she asked the question, Natalie heard a rustling of the branches in the forest and the thudded sounds of ill disguised footsteps. Her body too went rigid. There was only one implication.

"How?" asked a shocked Minerva.

Kalissa took a deep breath. Her face hardened into an image of grim resolve. "I don't know, but Natalie, go upstairs into the office. Minerva and I will join you soon. We'll have to signal for Dumbledore."

Natalie gaped at Kalissa dumbly. The office. That confirmed that Death Eaters had found them.

"Natalie, go now. I don't know how many of them there are. We may have only a few minutes."

Natalie slowly nodded. She then rushed out of her chair, up the stairs and into the only room in the house where they could apparate from. Her body was paralyzed with fear and terror. She had the sickening and defeating impression that she was watching herself and Kalissa approach the inevitable end they had both tried desperately to avoid. Tears welled in her eyes. She hoped with all her strength that both of them would come to join her soon.

Natalie's body relaxed immensely when both came running through the door, grabbed her and then proceeded to twist in the act of apparation. To Natalie's horror, they did not vanish, but rather, they seemed to be rebounded by an invisible wall.

"They know about this room," whispered a stunned Minerva.

Kalissa inhaled deeply. She looked at Minerva. "You know what to do." She then turned towards Natalie, a tinge of fear in her eyes despite the pure determination that had etched itself on her face. "I'm sorry, Natalie, but remember what I taught you, during the summer. We're going have to employ those spells tonight."

Natalie nodded, barely registering Kalissa's words. She did not need to be told twice. A smaller, but deeper part of her knew that they could not escape the twisted, oppressive set of circumstances they had encountered. They would have to fight for their lives.

Natalie followed Kalissa and Minerva to the front of the stairs. All three crouched on opposing corners, shielded by the banister. The door burst open with a jet of green light. At least ten black hooded figures ran in, their wands pointed all around the entrance hall. Natalie silently gasped, but she focused on quelling the storm of emotions threatening to overcome her. She would not survive that way.

Kalissa nodded at the other two, mouthing 'Water'.

All three pointed their wands at bottom of the stairs and whispered, "_Aquaono!"_

An extremely massive and thunderous wave of water appeared at the bottom of the stairs and rolled across the entrance hall, carrying many of the Death Eaters across the house. Others ran as the wave hurtled towards them.

Minerva then, with a complex and graceful loop of her wand, silently transfigured one of the portraits in the Entrance hall into a large Great White shark that attacked several of the nearby hooded figures.

From her position behind the door leading upstairs, Natalie saw one of the Death Eaters take off his mask. Instantly, she recognized the face to be that of Antonin Dolohov. Her stomach took an agonizing and painful lurch. He waved his wand in the reverse motion of Minerva's spell, changing the shark back into a portrait. With another loop of his wand, the wave stopped thundering across the house, turning into a benign pool of water.

"They're upstairs!" yelled Dolohov in a deep, commanding voice. "Mulciber said they tried to apparate from that room there!"

Both Kalissa and Minerva quickly waved their wands in long, complicated patterns, muttering fervently under their breath. A loud, resonating boom pervaded the house, sending a few Death Eaters flying into the walls. The banister then coiled itself into a giant ring that started rapidly spinning, heading straight for the mass of black hoods. It thrust aside the four that were beginning to climb the stairs and then at the bottom of stairs, transformed into a dense wall.

"That was brilliant!" shouted Natalie in amazement.

"Come on! We might be able to lock ourselves in the broom closet before the Aurors come. They can get through that," urged Kalissa anxiously.

They began to run towards the broom closet but Natalie suddenly pulled both of them, screaming, "Watch out!"

Hundreds of little darts of red light crashed into the wall in front of them, burning a thick hole in it. Five more Death Eaters were coming out of what used to be Natalie's room.

All of three of them aimed their wands at the incoming group, yelling, "_Stupefy!"_

Three of the Death Eaters expertly leaped out of the way but the fourth and fifth were hurtling through Natalie's window by the three jets of red light.

One of the Death Eaters hissed in a delighted tone, "Malkae, what a pleasure!_ Avada Kedavra!"_ The curse was directed towards Kalissa.

Minerva pulled Kalissa out of the way of the green light. Natalie sent a well aimed jinx that launched him straight back into Natalie's room.

"You filthy little scum!" snarled one of the other Death Eaters.

Natalie blocked his stunning spell. Kalissa quickly waved her wand at the desk in the passage. It came zooming towards the remaining pair. They both dodged out of the way as it crashed into the wall with a resounding thud. Minerva then muttered, "_Wiregio_!"

Rope flowed out of her wand, wrapping itself around the two distracted Death Eaters. With a flick of her wand, the two were thrown out of Natalie's window. The Death Eater that Natalie had stunned picked himself up. Before he could raise his wand, Natalie quickly shouted, "_Aeronaugio!" _He followed his counterpart outside, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Kalissa circled her wand around all the rooms. "Ok, there, they won't be able to climb back up at least for a little while."

Suddenly, the wall downstairs exploded with a destructive burst of fire. Death Eaters came rushing through.

"Go to the broom closet!" screamed Kalissa to Natalie.

Natalie shook her head stubbornly. "I'm fighting too."

"No, Natalie," said Kalissa, trying to grab her arm.

Natalie pulled herself from her grasp. "You don't think they'll find me in that broom closet? I'm not leaving you."

Kalissa gritted her teeth, but did not say anything. "Ok. Follow our lead."

Within a few seconds, all three were slashing their wands at the oncoming mass. A vast onslaught of red, green and blue light, as well as fire, chandeliers, chairs and beds tore through the Death Eaters.

As a haze of green light came their way, all three jumped to the sides. Kalissa quickly lifted herself, sending another boom of sound that hit the frontrunners of the pack.

Minerva shouted to Kalissa, "They're too many of them. We can't hold them forever."

Kalissa shook her head. "They've got the entire house covered. There's no way we'll survive outside."

Natalie sent another ball of fire rolling towards the Death Eaters. To her dismay, one of them, who had obviously expected the spell, transfigured the fire into a harmless ice cube. She knew that despite the considerable magical talent of Kalissa and Minerva, they were simply overwhelmed.

Then to her surprise, Natalie heard some of the Death Eaters downstairs shout in panic.

"He's here! Get out of the way!"

A blinding silver flash of light pervaded the outside darkness.

Kalissa smiled. "Dumbledore."

A powerful, all consuming wave of happiness washed over Natalie. She also noticed with surprise that many of the Death Eaters, who had tried to climb the stairs, were retreating at the call of their comrades. She did not think that all of them would be foolish enough to leave these three to fight Dumbledore.

Minerva also saw the backing crowd. "Looks like the Order's here as well." As if to confirm her statement, Natalie began to hear a myriad of shrieks, roars and screams coming from outside.

Despite the relief on both Minerva and Natalie's faces, Kalissa had not lost her glare of utter concentration. "I think it will be safer downstairs. The Order must have been able to apparate outside. The anti-apparation charm in the office will take far too long to dispel. Natalie, you'll have to come with us. There's only a few of them by the stairs. But remember, get out of the way of any green light and don't be timid."

Natalie nodded, slightly irritated that Kalissa had still thought to treat her like an ignorant child.

Minerva pointed her wand at the small group of masked figures looking nervously around the house. Immediately, the group were thrown violently into the kitchen. Natalie, Kalissa and Minerva quickly ran out of the backdoor that was now open. In front of them, a huge battle was occurring. Most of the Death Eaters were maliciously dueling an Auror or a member of the Order who reciprocated the furious fervor. Some bodies lay on the floor, unconscious or to Natalie's sickening terror, dead. A few others, who were injured, were crawling on the grass, scrambling for their wands. The still darkness of the evening was now being bombarded with blue, green, orange and red beams of light.

"Kalissa Malkae. What a pleasure," growled a familiar voice behind them.

Kalissa hissed, "Dolohov!" She abruptly turned around, blocking his stunning spell and aiming a spell at him which barely missed him. Natalie barely had time to notice Kalissa engage this man in a duel and Minerva start to fight another one before she dodged a blue jet of light shot at her from Dolohov's companion.

Natalie pointed her wand at him, silently focusing, " _Aeronaugio!"_ He expertly flicked the spell away before grinning at her cruelly.

"You must be Malkae's daughter. Very pretty to be born from such filthy scum," snarled the man. He dodged both of Natalie's stunning spells. Natalie realized, with a pang of horror, that they were both rapidly moving away from the intense duel occurring between Kalissa and Dolohov.

The man then turned his wand upon her. "Obviously, Mommy is too worried about saving her own life now. _Crucio!"_

Natalie leapt sideways as a torrential rush of air brushed her clothing. She knew what she needed to do. This man was far too confident.

Natalie, focusing on her and Kalissa safely back together, whispered, "_Expecto Patronum!"_

A large, grey wolf streamed out of her wand, lunging at the man in front of her. His sneer disappeared to be replaced by a confused look. Directing his wand at the wolf, he snarled, "_Stupefy!"_

Natalie used the distracted moment to move over the side to get a clear view of the man. Focusing all her energy on blasting him into the forest, she yelled, "_Impedimenta!"_

He flew above the battling crowd back into the house. Natalie felt rather pleased with herself, but with a sharp pang, she realized she needed to find Kalissa.

"Ah, very good little Natalie, though Mulciber is quite an idiot. Obviously, Kalissa has imparted some of that wonderful knowledge," hissed a woman behind her. It was a voice containing pure maniacal desire and hunger.

Natalie turned around immediately, ready to stun another person. The woman, who the hiss belonged to, had no mask but Natalie's insides froze at the sight of the contorted and sickening smile of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Natalie went rigid. She felt her face solidify into a look of numb emptiness. No fear or anger entered her conscience. Everything else became muted, hazy and somehow very distant and detached. She could only focus on the image of that hideous, insidious woman who had manifested herself in Natalie's dreams. Now the dreams would merge into reality. She waited with mild curiosity and a restrained trepidation for the unavoidable meeting with her mother.

"My, my, what's wrong, dear Natalie? Mummy never told you me about me?" jeered Bellatrix, looking eagerly at Natalie. Her wand was not pointed at Natalie, but rather held at her side.

"No response? Shocked, aren't we? You do look quite familiar, though. Not that much like your filthy little scumbag of a mother, I'll have to say."

Bellatrix was slowly prowling towards her with a hungry expression on her face. Natalie could not move her muscles. Bellatrix must suspect that she may not be Kalissa's daughter. This notion sparked a slight jolt of excitement within her.

"How do you fancy a nice chat with me?" hissed Bellatrix, her eyes gleaming. Before Natalie could even try to raise her wand, Bellatrix grabbed her waist, dragging her behind the shed. Natalie never resisted her, a completely unexpected desire springing within her to let her mother take her. She shivered under the icy, stinging touch, staring blankly at the wild delight on the woman's face. Her thoughts and memories seemed to evaporate, her senses paralyzed as the shouts and roars of the battle behind them blurred together, fading into a stream of trivial noises.

She barely noticed her mother drop her onto the grassy bank of the river surrounding the cottage. Natalie feebly registered they were outside of the view of the rest of the battle. Bellatrix lowered her face to Natalie's level, using a long, pale finger to tilt her chin upwards so that their eyes met. Natalie could feel herself drawn into those piercing black depths. A brutal force thrust itself into her mind and suddenly, the image of short, mousy haired man with warm, brown eyes and a cheerful expression filled her entire conscience.

Her father's picture jerked her from her glazed state. She realized with a sharp lurch what Bellatrix was doing. She could not allow her to see further. Despite Natalie's conviction, the same hungry, urgent longing infested her, numbing her movements.

"Recognize him, don't you?" said Bellatrix, her smile twisting. "You shouldn't resist me, my dear. It's what we both want."

And, she could feel her thoughts and memories slipping out of her grasp, viciously being pulled towards a thick, billowing black cloud. They hit the cloud with a horribly painful, cacophonous thud. Natalie could feel the blackness surrounding and enveloping her, throwing her thoughts and memories all over the darkness. Flashes passed through her: Kalissa hugging and holding her, sleeping next to Kalissa as a child, receiving her entrance letter from Durmstrang, arriving at Hogwarts and lastly, meeting Harry, laughing with him, tickling him and then kissing him.

"Potter's friend, are you?" screamed Bellatrix, the scream reverberating through both their minds. A malicious, scorching anger suddenly cut through her thoughts, pushing away the rippling blackness enveloping Natalie.

And suddenly, her mother's mind unsheathed itself to her. Bellatrix's face reappeared, her emotions washing over Natalie. Natalie finally realized what she exactly saw in her mother's expression. It was not the pure, uninhibited concern and joy of Kalissa, but a hungry, devouring possessiveness. A desire for Natalie gripped the mind, spurred not by affection, but rather an insatiable urge to satisfy. With a startle, Natalie realized an obsession with something and someone truly majestic and powerful consumed these thoughts, leading to a selfless, yet malignant devotion. Natalie could almost feel the devotion, underlined by a vigorous, contorted sense of lust, creeping into her mind. And then, she saw the target of this devotion; a tall, handsome man with a cruel smile. All her mother's wisps and strands of thought and memory, all the little threads of emotion and all the waves of desire funneled into that one man.

And with a surge of crushing despair, Natalie instantly realized who this man was. Within her mother, there was no love, no simple, familiar reservations for her, but a cruel possessiveness stretching and expanding itself for the sole use of Lord Voldemort.

"You like what you see?" spat Bellatrix, the words echoing across both of their minds. "The Dark Lord is great, is he not?"

Natalie wanted to firmly say "no", but she could not summon the energy to utter that one declaration. For once, the heavy, burdensome anger towards her mother remained locked and suppressed. A blank hollowness pervaded her at the thought that she had always been right; her mother never bore any warmth towards her, never once considered her as her child.

"You are very different than I expected," hissed Bellatrix, disgust dripping from her voice. "But powerful, and the Dark Lord rewards power."

Before Bellatrix could deepen the connection and show other parts of her mind Natalie desperately did not want to see, a searing, white light rushed into both their minds. Bellatrix's emotions and thoughts retreated quickly from her as she felt the connection break, finding herself invigorated with the pure, refreshing energy of this white light. Natalie could feel herself resurface, the shock disappearing and her senses returning with an abrupt jolt.

"Dumbledore!" snarled Bellatrix, stepping backward. Before she could raise her wand, a silver flash of light sent her sprawling onto the grass floor, unconscious.

As if on a drawstring, Dumbledore appeared. She had never seen anyone so powerful and intimidating. The twinkle in his eyes, the radiant smile on his face and his infectious exuberance had vanished. He looked now more terrifying and angry than she had ever seen him. Every single line of his face seemed to emanate cold, relentless fury and determination.

He gestured to a young woman with bright pink hair who had suddenly appeared at his side. Natalie recognized the woman to be one of the Aurors on patrol at Hogwarts. "Natalie, Nymphadora will take you to the shed where you can apparate with her from there. I have to help the others," stated Dumbledore in an unquestionable and authoritative tone.

"But Kalissa –"

Dumbledore placed a hand on Natalie's shoulder, a warm twinkle appearing in his eye. "Do not worry about either Kalissa or Minerva. I will ensure that they remain safe."

Natalie did not doubt the absolute conviction in his voice. She nodded towards Nymphadora who smiled reassuredly at her before grabbing her waist, lifting her off the bank and running towards the shed.

When they ran toward the shed, the shed door suddenly opened, ramming straight into Nymphadora's face. She toppled backwards onto the ground. As she lifted herself up, trying to locate their attacker, a dart of purple light struck her, throwing her against the shed's wall. Her limp body nauseatingly slid down the wall with a trail of blood oozing from her head. Natalie tore her gaze from Nymphadora, trying to pinpoint the source of the curse. Before she could even turn her head, a very burly and muscular man emerged out of thin air, punching her in the face, throwing her onto the ground. He swung his foot at her, puncturing her ribs. She moaned in pain as another well aimed kick caused her ribs to crack. She realized with a sickening lurch that he had used the Disilllusionment charm.

"Look who we have here!" spat the man, jeering at her. He then caught sight of Nymphadora's body, grinning in disgusting pleasure. He moved eagerly to her body, placing his wand against the woman's throat.

"Travers, get away from them," ordered a cold, hollow voice with a malicious edge that was strikingly familiar to Natalie's ear. She looked around to find the owner of the voice. Her spirits dropped when she noticed another Death Eater, a mask covering his face.

The man turned his head in bewilderment, but then a nasty and triumphant smile appeared on his face. "Ah, Snape, why don't we have a little fun with her? Very pretty, this one is," hissed Travers, licking his lips. He picked up Nymphadora, running his hand suggestively over her body.

Snape abruptly sent a tree branch violently spinning towards Travers who seemed to have been waiting for the curse. He easily repelled the branch, letting Nymphadora's body drop to the ground in front of him.

"Snape, I see you want to play with the big boys?" shrieked Travers in crazed delight. He thrust his wand towards Snape, hissing, "_Crucio!"_

Snape sidetracked the curse, immediately sending a beam of red light zooming towards Travers who barely managed to get out of the way. He gestured to the rest of the fighting crowd. "Not the loyal spy, are we _Snivellus?_ I wonder if the Dark Lord can see now."

Natalie saw his eyes flicker eagerly towards the other Death Eaters and she realized the lapse of concentration. Snape too saw the opportunity. He waved his wand and a jet of green light struck a surprised Travers directly in the chest. He fell dead onto the ground alongside Natalie. Natalie barely breathed before she heard Snape running to her. He picked her up, wrapped his arm around Nymphadora and spun on the spot. She felt like she was suffocating in an extremely awkward and narrow tube until at the last second, they landed with a dull thud outside of the train station in Hogsmeade.

Natalie let herself out of Snape's grasp, allowing him to carry Nymphadora's body to the castle. Her ribs were still aching, making walking quite an uncomfortable effort as she trailed behind Snape's brisk walk.

He abruptly jerked his head around, noting her disjointed strides. "What curse did he use on you?" asked Snape, his eyes roaming over her.

Natalie shook her head. "Just kicked me. Think he broke my ribs. I'll be fine, though. Take her to the hospital wing."

Snape arched an eyebrow. "And leave you standing here in the middle of the night in Hogsmeade after what has just happened? Surely, Gryffindor bravado is not so blindingly obtuse."

Natalie's jaw hardened at the sneering edge to his voice. She did not need his cynical and mocking attitude after tonight's events. But before she could fire a witty reply that would surely earn her a detention, he waved his wand and her ribs quickly healed. Natalie slapped her hand against her head. Of course, a simple _Episkey_ would have repaired broken ribs. She shook her head. Her mind was too washed with worries about Kalissa and the numbing experience of meeting her mother for her to remember even the most basic curses.

"In case you haven't noticed Miss Malkae, Nymphadora here does not have the entire night for you to gawk at your own stupidity," snapped Snape.

Natalie glared angrily at him before stomping towards the castle. He quickly overtook her at an urgent pace, levitating Nymphadora's body alongside him. The gates opened immediately with a loop of his wand. Once they reached the entrance hall to the castle, he turned to her with a somber expression on his face. "Follow me to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm not injured –"

"I do not care," said Snape furiously. "Madam Pomfrey will want to check on you regardless of how you feel. Surely, your mind is not that thick?"

Natalie gritted her teeth, nodding. "Of course, _sir_, I will come."


	15. The Picture

**A/N: Thanks very much to all the reviewers! And thanks to my sister for editing this chapter.**

**There might be one chapter coming out later tonight. I am making changes to that chapter so I'll see how it takes. **

**Seeing as you guys enjoy Harry/OC fanfics, you may want to take a look at the fanfic, ****"Plus one" by U may say that I'm a dreamer. It's just starting out but it has a great, original idea and the writing's pretty good.**

**Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own zero percent of the wizarding world**

Chapter 15- The Picture

"Are Kal – my mother and Professor McGonagall safe?" asked Natalie anxiously as they stepped into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. After Madam Pomfrey had examined her, she elected to wait outside the Hospital Wing for news about Kalissa, not wanting to see all the gruesome injuries many of the Aurors and a few Order members sustained. And Snape, despite his own vehement complaints, had been firmly ordered by Madam Pomfrey to keep her in his classroom.

"I don't know. Please don't trouble me. Sit down here and we'll see," snapped Snape, gesturing at his classroom.

"Well, professor, I do deserve some answers. In the middle of Christmas supper, thirty or so murderous Death Eaters invade my mother's house with only one goal in mind," retorted Natalie with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Do not talk back to me, Miss Malkae. I've already told you once and obviously, it fell upon deaf ears. I do not know, but I suspect we will soon hear," replied Snape harshly. "Now, please listen to me and sit down."

Natalie, who was becoming increasingly incensed at his unpleasantness, proceeded to sit down at the closest table to his desk. She was not going to succumb to his coldness so easily. Then, Natalie suddenly remembered that he had saved her life. She realized with a pang of shame that she had become so immersed in her worries about Kalissa and Minerva that she had forgot to thank him.

"Er, professor," said Natalie in a much softer, sincere voice. "Thank you for saving my life. I'm sorry about my curtness earlier, but I do appreciate what you did." She hoped that Snape could detect the genuine gratitude in her voice.

Snape did not even glance at her, but merely picked a book from his drawer and started reading it. Natalie's frustration with him quickly reappeared. She did not want to remain silent and grit her teeth as he had so blatantly implied. The recent events of the evening filled her with a tense and sickening restlessness. She was still trembling and shivering as fear and terror continued to claw at her stomach. She wanted to focus on the more personal implications later in the presence of someone slightly friendlier. But now, she needed to at the very least, achieve an adequate understanding of the circumstances behind the attack and Snape's mystical appearance while hoping that they would soon hear news about Kalissa and Minerva.

"How did the Death Eaters know about my mother's house? I thought it was impossible to find."

Snape lifted his head, with a look of utter annoyance on his face. "You're almost as annoying as Potter, just less dense. Obviously, the house is not impossible to find. The Dark Lord is quite a powerful wizard. He does have his ways of finding people."

Natalie ignored the mocking edge to his voice. She was, however, slightly unsettled by his reverential use of the 'Dark Lord'. "So you don't know?"

"Did I not answer the question?"

Natalie decided to question him about his role in the night's events. "So Professor, why were you there, tonight?"

Snape flicked through his book. "I was needed by the Headmaster to cast the spell that allowed for apparition out of the shed. Seeing as the Dark Lord had used very complex, powerful dark magic to set up anti-apparition walls within and outside your mother's house and, apart from the Headmaster who had been preoccupied with everything else occurring in that house, I was the only person from the Order who knew how to perform that spell."

Natalie looked at him in awe. She remembered Harry describing the man's role as a spy, but clearly, he was also quite a powerful wizard. "Isn't that risky for you as you are a spy for the Order?" she asked a bit too eagerly.

"That is none of your business. You are remarkably similar to Potter. He too has the nasty habit of poking his nose in far too many places."

Natalie stamped her foot on the ground. Not only did she want to snap at Snape, but she also was becoming progressively afraid that Kalissa had not evaded the Death Eaters.

"Temper, Miss Malkae. I can still take points off from Gryffindor."

Natalie was about to say something particularly nasty before she heard an urgent knock on the door. Snape lazily flicked his wand, opening the door. A thin, very tired looking man with sandy hair stood at the doorway, looking concernedly at Natalie.

"What happened to my mother?" blurted Natalie, realizing too late that this visitor might not know anything about Kalissa.

"Hello. You must be Natalie. Your mother's doing very well. Professor Dumbledore is currently transferring her to a different location. Minerva is also safe – she is accompanying your mother to this location and will be returning to the school," responded the man in a very kind, gentle manner.

He then nodded towards Snape. "Thank you so much Severus for helping Nymphadora – Poppy told me." Without any acknowledgement towards Natalie, Snape gave a brief nod of his head to man, before sweeping out of the room.

Natalie's spirits lifted immensely. Kalissa was alive, but they were still separated; this time, for an indefinite period of time. A tinge of disappointment and the empty feeling of loneliness started to grow within her. She knew that these feelings were very childish and selfish.

"Who are you, sir?" asked Natalie, much more politely than she had been talking to Snape.

"Remus Lupin. If Harry hasn't told you already, I was one of his dad's best friends and I taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at the school three years ago," said Lupin, taking a seat on the table next to her.

"Oh yeah, Harry told me a lot about you. So you were one of the ones fighting the Death Eaters?" Natalie recalled several conversations in which Harry described in vivid detail his father's adventurous group of friends called the Marauders. Remus Lupin, she remembered, was the werewolf who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts in third year.

"Ah no. I was at a Christmas party. Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror who's part of the Order, sent me his Patronus, giving me instructions to convey the news to you," answered Remus, smiling at her.

Natalie began to notice his rather disheveled and very wearisome appearance. "Are you all right? You look very exhausted."

"Has Harry told you about my condition?" said Lupin grimly.

"Oh, yes," replied Natalie, wondering why she did not make that connection. "I'm very sorry."

Lupin laughed, his eyes sparkling in mirth. "Don't be – I've had it for so long that it barely bothers me anymore."

'I still think you should see Madam Pomfrey," said Natalie, frowning at him.

"I will eventually. Anyway, I hope Harry did not tell you anything particularly unpleasant about me," said Lupin jokingly.

"Of course not. He said you were one of the nicest people he knows. He also told me about your guys' pretty exciting third year with Sirius Black and that, er, Peter Pettigrew."

Lupin smiled wistfully. "That was quite an interesting year. I hadn't met Harry till I came to the school and Sirius hadn't seen him since he was a baby. Oh, I see you know about our little miscreant, Peter."

Natalie shook her head darkly. "Bloody snitch."

Lupin laughed. "You sound just like Sirius."

Natalie remembered something. "Hey, how did you know about Harry and me being friends?"

Lupin raised his eyebrows at her. "From what I've heard, you two are more than friends. But yes, I did see him yesterday for Christmas Eve at the Weasley's home."

"Oh. How is he?" Natalie could not help but feel resentful that he was languishing with his friends while she and her mother had to battle Death Eaters. She also did not at all like the idea of him being so close to Ginny.

"Very well. He doesn't know about tonight, of course."

Natalie groaned inwardly. Harry would eventually hear about the Death Eater attack. And she would have to deal with his numerous questions and suspicions.

Lupin was now gazing at her worriedly. "You look awfully pale. I don't know why Severus decided to take you to the Dungeons."

"No, I'm fine. Just a bit tired and scared," replied Natalie nonchalantly.

Lupin smiled. "You've just had to endure and survive a very vigorous Death Eater attack. It's perfectly normal to feel terrified. Even after all the Death Eaters I've seen, I can't ignore the agitation or restlessness that comes afterward."

Natalie sighed. He was right. She realized with a lurch that the triumphant relief of escape had dissipated. A flood of emotion was rapidly climbing up her throat. An intense sadness and desperation begun to penetrate her with the knowledge that she might not see Kalissa for a very long time. Her meeting with her mother – Natalie shuddered – had brought forth the hidden trepidation in response to the growing awareness that she and Kalissa could not navigate around the fatal future that had now brashly shown its head. There was also the unquestionable significance of this encounter that Natalie did not want to address too thoroughly yet.

"You should ask Poppy for a Dreamless draught and have a nice, long sleep. It really does wonders for the mind," said Remus.

Natalie nodded, returning to their conversation. "Hopefully not here though," added Natalie sarcastically, gesturing around the room. "With some of these portraits."

Lupin laughed. "I have tremendous admiration for Severus, but he never had a positive outlook on life."

"I can already see that."

As they stood from their seats, Dumbledore suddenly entered the door. The brutal anger Natalie had last seen on his face had become much more suppressed, but he still looked unnervingly tense and stoic.

Dumbledore smiled at her. To Natalie's relief, the smile contained the same compassion and warmth that she had come to associate with the man. "How are you, Natalie?"

Natalie thought this to be a completely inappropriate question given that he knew what she just had to traverse through. "Okay," she responded awkwardly.

He then turned towards Lupin. "Remus, I need to talk to you for a few moments." His gaze returned to Natalie. "Natalie, I have to talk to Remus about a few matters dealing with the Order. I'll come back to tell you about your mother."

Natalie nodded. She felt very much irritated that the affairs of the Order held more importance than her own knowledge about her mother's safety. Lupin placed his hand on Natalie's shoulder. "It was nice talking to you. Undoubtedly, I'll see you soon."

Natalie gave him a weak smile. "You too, sir. Thanks."

Once the two left the room to talk outside, Natalie let her head fall into her hands. The tears that had threatened to drown her face now came with ardent fervor. She cried for everything that had gone wrong tonight and for everything that had gone askew with her life. Kalissa and their forced separation. Voldemort and the Death Eaters who had created all this unnecessary terror and hatred. Even Snape who took great displeasure in keeping her alive. And the most agonizing truth: a mother, who now most certainly knew Natalie was her daughter, solely wanted Natalie for intents of pleasing that terrible man.

As the tears continued to stream down her face, the adrenaline of the attack quickly departed, a sinking despair overcoming Natalie. Since she first learned the identity of her birth mother, a small and very shameful part of her occasionally envisioned, when her days were devoid of worry and drenched in Kalissa's closeness, the image of Bellatrix showing an affection and at the very least, a tinge of appreciation towards their connection. The eager curiosity that Natalie had detected on Bellatrix's face lifted these hopes because perhaps, her mother had not presumed her dead. A surge of shame and anger throttled her at the way in which she allowed Bellatrix to carry her below the bank and so easily intertwine in their minds.

However, the longing on her mother's face was infested and poisoned with the pure, savage craving of exploitation. Natalie agonizingly understood that despite the unearthing of their relationship, Natalie would never even represent a drop of obligation and loyalty to that woman. She was merely another victim to use to please Voldemort; this time the plot was much more intimate and, therefore, for that disgustable creature, intimacy meant exhilaration.

The empty, useless sensation of isolation and self-humiliation that she had experienced frequently before this year quickly reappeared, now disseminating throughout her body. Her life seemed to mirror one of those vast exotic colorful paintings that to the casual observer, appears to be entrancing and gaudy, but upon closer examination, it is a meretricious, vapid entity, lacking any relevance or a need of existence.

Unsettling her even further, she felt someone wrap an arm around her shoulders. With a lurch, she jerked her head to see the calm, gentle and sad smile of Albus Dumbledore. Her face blushed immensely. She did not need him to see her in such a state.

"I'm sorry, Professor," said Natalie, quickly brushing the tears off her face and desperately attempting to hold them in. "I'm being far too dramatic."

Dumbledore's grip strengthened. "Natalie, please do not say that. This evening you faced a group of murderous Death Eaters, an event that most people never hope to experience. And above that, you met the very woman who I'm sure you've allotted a great deal of thought to."

Natalie nodded, staring at the floor. Under his hold, she again felt strangely exposed, but at the same time, undeniably secure and comforted.

"When I saw her, I just felt so numb and powerless, like something large had overcome me."

"Fear, Natalie. It does not give any care towards reason. We cannot prepare adequately for something so personally immense and grand."

"How's Kalissa?" whispered Natalie, her thoughts returning to the woman who she could not survive without for so long.

"She's very safe. She too is quite taken aback at what happened. Other than that, she has come back to that usual exuberance we all love in her."

"Where is she?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say, but it's much closer to Hogwarts and a place I can keep a very watchful eye on. That does mean that with the proper precautions, you can visit Kalissa far more frequently."

Natalie's eyes widened in hope. "Really?"

Natalie could sense Dumbledore smile brightly. "I daresay one visit a month will be allowed."

A smile of pure pleasure and contentment crossed Natalie's face.

But then she remembered with grim curiosity another question that she had yet to answer. "How did they –"

"That my dear, I do not know. I will of course be looking very thoroughly into the cause, but I do suspect that the distance of Kalissa's location and her presence outside of a Muggle community made her far more exposed to Voldemort's inspection than I had anticipated. My judgement was faulty and it almost cost the lives of three of my favourite women. I apologize. "

Natalie could almost hear the physical pain in his voice. She wanted to reassure him. "It can't be your fault. Someone must have betrayed the confidence of the Order."

"Unfortunately, that seems to be part of the cause as well."

"So is the place where Kalissa is staying more difficult for Voldemort to detect?" asked Natalie intently.

"I do think so. It's less conspicuous and does not stand out as much with regard to magic. I also have a very strong familiarity with that area."

Natalie felt relieved. Dumbledore's mere presence had infused her with a new strength. She realized with an embarrassed lurch that Kalissa would be extremely unhappy to learn that she had been sulking about her current predicament. Like Kalissa, Dumbledore and even Harry, she had to embrace her circumstances and continue to plod along.

Still, one image, in its colossal and grotesque vitality, remained entrenched in Natalie's mind: the insatiable yearning on Bellatrix's face. "Er, Professor, can I ask you a question about, er, my _mother_?" asked Natalie, her voice falling on the last two words.

Dumbledore positioned his face to look directly at her with that unique expression of utter compassion and unnerving intensity. "Yes?"

Natalie inhaled. She would have to compose herself to articulate her current feelings. "When I saw her today, she looked as she almost wanted me. Not just like a typical victim. But something she felt, er, linked to… It was like she was desperate to confirm something. And I believe she did. How would she know that I, er, survived?"

Dumbledore considered her question for a very long moment. He still peered at her intently, this time with a slightly surprised comprehension. "I don't know if I can answer that properly. From what I can recall, Kalissa said with certainty that Bellatrix presumed you to be dead. But, your observation does not contradict Bellatrix's recent behavior, which has been very strange, even for her. From what I've heard, she seems to be pursuing something with a new vibrancy that makes me conclude that this object of her search is very personal to her. And I think you found out the answer to that particular question tonight."

"Oh." That nauseating fear of inevitability infested Natalie's stomach. "She knows who I am now because of –"

"Legilimency," completed Dumbledore, smiling sadly. "I imagine you saw many of her thoughts and memories as well."

Natalie shuddered. "Not just her thoughts, but it was almost like I could feel her emotions. I never knew you could experience another person's feelings through Legilimency."

"Ah," said Dumbledore, stroking his chin contemplatively. "This is a very interesting insight. Normally, you cannot because in addition to Occlumency shields which are consciously formed, there are also barriers keeping emotions within one's body – these barriers are subconsciously erected, thereby being much stronger. However, I suspect Bellatrix was far less guarded with you than any other person in her life and as a result, her emotional shields were far weaker. And I imagine, both consciously and subconsciously, she wanted for you to see more of her. Consequently, it is quite possible, especially with the strong connection that formed between the two of you, an emotional trigger, such as surge of happiness or anger at the right moment, could have broken through those barriers."

"Oh," said Natalie, remembering the bout of anger that started her onset into her mother's mind. "When she saw Harry in my memories, there was this horrible burst of anger and I suppose that broke the shields."

"Yes, that sounds reasonable," noted Dumbledore, watching her intently. "If you mind me asking Natalie, what did you see or feel in your mother's mind?"

Natalie sighed. She was hesitant about sharing those sensations, but at this moment, the desperation and sense of defeat was so strong that she did not think she had the energy to conceal the emotions she saw and experienced.

"It was very strange," said Natalie, picking her words. "She had some sort of hungry longing for me, but I don't think it was because I was her daughter, but more so because she felt she could use me to please Voldemort. I suppose, when she realized she might have a half blood daughter, it only strengthened that desire to prove to Voldemort she had nothing to do with Muggles." Natalie gulped, a wave of dread and shame rolling through her. "I think she sees me as a type of trophy she can present to Voldemort especially since I know Harry pretty well. Anyway, I also saw Voldemort's image in her mind. She had this sick devotion to him, as if she would do anything for him."

Dumbledore nodded, bringing her to his chest. "You must not feel ashamed of yourself, Natalie. Any child would want even the smallest acknowledgement of affection from a mother. Sadly, your mother, like Voldemort, has tampered with Dark Magic for a very long period of time. The magic, I presume, has affected her personality, creating this horrible desire for power that I believe is reflected in her devotion to Voldemort. She may be the only Death Eater willing to sacrifice her entire happiness for his sake; an admirable selflessness, but one that makes her extremely violent and dangerous. While she may have shown some semblance of care for you at birth, I'm afraid her attachment to Voldemort has rendered her incapable of showing such love."

Natalie swallowed, unable to stop the feeling of defeat from sinking deeper into her. "I realized that when I saw her mind."

"It's a terrible realization to come across," said Dumbledore. "There's plenty of people who care about you; Kalissa, myself, Minerva, Harry and your friends."

Another frightening thought struck her. "She will come looking for me now, won't she?"

Dumbledore held her gaze for a moment before he spoke. "Yes, I do believe she will want to bring you to Voldemort. As you correctly inferred, she regards you as a means for her to further affirm her loyalty to him. I am very sorry Natalie; Kalissa and I had hoped your identity would not have become known to her so quickly. I promise we will take all possible measure to ensure tonight's encounter is not repeated."

Natalie directed her eyes towards the floor. She did not need to ask the question for after seeing and feeling the insatiable craving within Bellatrix for her, there was no doubt she would come after Natalie. However, the idea of a ruthless and diabolical person like Bellatrix searching for her brought so many people into danger, not only Kalissa who had sufficient worries for a lifetime, but also anyone affiliated with her – that included Harry who did not need both her mother and Voldemort coming after him.

Dumbledore let go of Natalie, not taking his eyes off her face. "Natalie, I am pleased that you chose to express your fears to me. I will be tracking Bellatrix's movements very closely and will tell you if I see anything that might concern you or Kalissa. But now, I think you should rest. This has been a very bothersome and unsettling night for you. Sleep can only be beneficial. Argus has already set up your old room, just outside of Minerva's office."

"Are you going?"

"Yes, I have to handle some affairs with the Order. Professor Snape will take you back to your room and Minerva will return soon. She will check on you and if you feel the need, she can spend the night." With a cheerful, pleasant smile, he then added, "I have to say I am quite pleased that you will be staying the rest of the holidays with us. The castle does tend to get lonely at times."

"Er, Professor Snape does not need to take me. I know where the room is," said Natalie a bit too rashly.

Dumbledore smiled. "Very well then, but I do have to warn you that Argus does get himself into quite a temper at this time of the evening.

Before Dumbledore could turn and leave, Natalie gripped his arm. "Does Kalissa know about, er, what happened with Bellatrix?" She was barely able to utter the last word.

Dumbledore smiled at her, placing his hand on her arm. "Yes, knowing how protective she is, I thought it would be best for her to know as soon as possible."

Natalie breathed in relief. "Thanks, Professor. I don't think I could be up to the task of telling her."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I thought as much, though, I expect the next time you write or see her, Kalissa will want to talk about your mother."

"Of course," said Natalie, not looking forward to that conversation.

Dumbledore squeezed her arm. "It is in Kalissa's nature to be forward about such things – it is the one characteristic I admire the most. I am certain that talking about your mother with Kalissa will be nothing but helpful."

"I suppose," said Natalie, giving a small smile at Dumbledore's warm expression.

He then swept out of the room, leaving Natalie to again let her mind unravel itself over the new situation with her mother. A revelation sprung to Natalie's mind, bringing its own bouts of severe, stiffening fear. Her secret had finally emerged from its dark, enclosed corner, yet there was no infusion of relief, no sense of fulfillment at the lifting of a great burden. In spite of all the satisfaction and enjoyment this school term brought her, through all the moments with Harry, Hermione and even Ron, she never moved away from the torrential of emotions pouring forth from her mother's specter. Instead, the familiar self-deprecating humiliation appeared, more acute than ever.

She desperately wanted to distant herself from her mother, not allow herself to experience the same crushing devastation again. An intense urge surged through Natalie to open this secret and release all its self-hatred, anger and disappointment. She wanted to feel that infusion of relief; enjoy the exhilaration of separating herself from her mother's stranglehold. For once in her life, there were people who she could fully trust. She needed to prove that she would not let this secret continue to erode her conscience, driving her into constant despair and shame.

With a startle, Natalie felt her resolve harden. Clear, crystalline truths cut across her mind. Harry and perhaps Hermione deserved to know who she truly was. And moreover, she wanted them to know. Natalie sighed, knowing that somehow she had now fully stepped crossed a line she could not retreat over.

She breathed heavily, the exhaustion finally sweeping over her as her thoughts cleared. A headache started to pierce her mind; no doubt the effects of maintaining such a strong link with her mother's mind were beginning to show.

After a few minutes, Natalie decided not to wait for Snape and go to her room, hoping Filch was not as alert during the holidays. As she carefully walked through the doorway, with her head down, Natalie bumped into Snape. A picture fell out of his pocket. Feeling slightly sheepish, Natalie quickly bent down to pick the picture only to be shocked by its stunning familiarity.

She saw a younger, surprisingly less somber and brighter teenage version of Snape. His hair did not seem to be as greasy, his face not as pale and his presence not as overbearing or confronting. But the 15 year old or 16 year old girl in the photograph caught Natalie's eye. She immediately recognized the effervescent smile of complete compassion, the excited readiness and most amazing, the eyes that held so much promise and replenishment in them. The red mane of hair only confirmed the girl's identity: Lily Evans.

The two were laughing and jesting like two very close friends to Natalie's stunned bewilderment. There did not seem to a physical or emotional tension. They were poking one another and smiling on a clear, summer day outside of what appeared to be a small village. But the most striking feature of the picture remained the occasional glances of pure wistfulness, wonder and what Natalie could only define as full bodied, vigorous love on Snape's face.

"Give me that _picture,_ you nosy little brat," said Snape quietly. He was shaking violently, his fists clenched, his eyes staring at Natalie in a mixture of outrage and fear.

Natalie was at a loss for words. "You and –"

Suddenly, Snape pushed her, snatched the picture out of her hands and then gripped her savagely. "You are not to tell anyone of this, do you hear me? GET OUT of my office. NOW!" He sent her hurling painfully through his door, slamming the door with an emphatic thud.

Natalie ran as fast as she could. There were just far too many things to think about.


	16. Telling Harry

**A/N: The next two chapters will be the last chapters for about 2 and a half weeks.**

**Thanks to all the reviewers and my sister for diligently editing through these two chapters. **

**Disclaimer: Besides Natalie and Kalissa, I own nothing else of the wizarding wizard**

Chapter 16- Telling Harry

_Natalie, _

_Happy New Year! And a Merry Christmas (though it wasn't very merry for us, was it?)_

_How are you? How have your holidays been? (Albus has told me that you have given him a whacking in chess more than a few times!) _

_But I'm sure that you're not going to fall for my cheery mood. I'm extremely sorry for what happened on Christmas night. I did hope that we at least could have one day of normalcy this year. No 16 year old girl should have to dodge killing curses sent her way by the darkest and most disgusting wizards and witches in the world. I am glad, however, that all three of us managed to escape alive and without any lasting harm. I am forever in debt to Professor Snape for taking you back to Hogwarts. _

_Knowing you, Natalie, you must be very curious about the place where I am staying. I can happily inform you that my new home does not stand out as much as the previous home. I believe that both Albus and I made a very foolish mistake when we tried to pick out a location in September that was so isolated and alienated from the rest of the wizarding community. With that being said, I feel much safer and less alone in my new home. Please do not worry about me. I am within in close contact of a few members of the Order and Albus is very familiar with this location. It will take a great deal of luck and not magical ability for Voldemort to detect me! I know you are wondering whether I have decided to go under the Fidelius charm. My answer has not changed. I refuse to place Minerva and Albus in even greater danger when they have so much to worry about now. Given that the chances of me being found are very extremely low, the Fidelius charm would only add unneeded stress to our lives. I do know your preference for this charm. I will only employ it when the situation becomes dire which it is far from now._

_Most importantly, I think with this new place that is closer to Hogwarts, we can visit one another much more frequently! I really do want to hear about you adventures at school and what's happening between you and Harry…(I rather enjoyed our conversation on Christmas night before we were rudely interrupted.) As I am sure you can gather, I am doing very well. Please do not spend your time obsessing about me. Enjoy yourself as much you can. Hogwarts is a beautiful place in the winter. By the way, how was New Year's Eve at the castle? Quite the fireworks display Hogsmeade has, doesn't it? I do think that we have faced the worst possible scenario and are now climbing out of it. The future looks bright for both of us!_

_There is one matter I will address but that I'd like to talk about even further when I next see you (Albus will give you the dates). Albus informed me that while I was dueling Dolohov, you met Bellatrix. I cannot imagine your reaction at seeing her horrible face and I feel ashamed for leaving you unguarded. I owe Albus so much for again he has helped me avoid a very fatal situation. But with regard to Bellatrix: I do not know what she said or tried to do to you, but remember, you are far superior to her. You are everything – kind, rational, compassionate and brave – that she could never be. Do not lose sight of you are. I know she unsettles you considerably, but it's your will and resilience that will affect how prevalent her image is in your mind._

_That being said, I do look forward to our next meeting. Hopefully, we will scatter in some serious talk among all the laughs and jokes! _

_But now I have to go and cook my supper. Do well in school and enjoy yourself! I will as always write every week to you. I miss you unbelievably more than you miss me!_

_With love,_

_Kalissa._

_Jan 2__nd__, 1997._

Natalie finished reading the letter, her eyes slightly moist. She folded it carefully and tied it up. McGonagall had personally delivered the letter from Kalissa to Natalie, accounting for the very candid and unrestrained nature of the letter. She really did miss Kalissa.

The holidays had been far from dull and boring since Christmas night. Much of her days consisted of reacquainting herself with the library's very expansive collection of Muggle and Wizarding fiction, playing intense but very exciting chess games with the teachers as well as talking and visiting them (her favourites were still Dumbledore and Hagrid) and then, exploring the castle, finding herself continually surprised at its vast hoard of secrets. But at night, as she lay awake for endless hours on her bed, she found herself going over the new predicament she and Kalissa had to face.

She could not completely appreciate Kalissa's advice to her about Bellatrix. Kalissa did not understand the full depth and ambiguity of Natalie's feelings for her mother. It had always been something that Natalie had to handle by herself. As the holidays progressed, behind the veil of laughter and cheerfulness, she found that the terror of inevitability, consisting of the frightening vision of Bellatrix taking her away from Kalissa and using her to hurt Harry, now amounted to a biting, clawing passion that managed to creep its way into some of her most trivial tasks. She was starting to suffer from excessive bouts of shame and uselessness. To both Natalie's rational and emotional sides, the possibility of confiding her secret in someone else became increasingly more attractive.

Strangely, Natalie did not feel the need to ask Kalissa for advice. Kalissa had always urged her to talk about Bellatrix with her. She had also frequently hinted to Natalie that a suppressed and ignored secret would eventually find a way to hurt her. She now realized that Kalissa was right. Her mother's image was relentlessly suffocating her; before, Bellatrix had accounted for a very unnerving, disturbing part of her that occasionally thrust her into a maelstrom of fear, anger and shame, but now that part had snaked its way around Natalie's complete perception of herself, vigorously entangling her.

As much as she tried to ignore the devastation her mother's complete lack of affection induced, she could not avoid the simple truth that she still wanted to see whether her mother genuinely cared for her. Bellatrix's image preyed on that sliver of hope, pressing the hurt of rejection against her and continually tightening its hold on her. She faced a deadly point of no return. Sharing this information with another person would resist that attacking passion, moving her away from it. The humiliation and feeling of uselessness would not be as ubiquitous, the defeat and hurt not as sharp. Since that Christmas evening, her resolve to tell Harry had not wavered. She only needed to outline a plan.

Natalie heard the faint whistle of the Hogwarts express returning. Tomorrow would be the first day of the new term. The arrival of the Hogwarts Express also meant that Harry would be returning from the Weasley's by the Floo network. Natalie wiped her face. She needed to compose herself. He obviously would have heard about the Death Eater attack from Lupin or some member of the Order. There would be numerous questions from both him and Hermione.

She had already moved back to the Gryffindor dormitories. She glanced over herself in the mirror in the sixth year girls' dorm and then slowly walked down the stairs, out of the Common Room and along the hall to McGonagall's office.

Natalie knocked tentatively on McGonagall's door. "Come in, Natalie," said McGonagall formally.

Natalie cautiously opened the door, stepping into the office. Despite her many visits during the summer and the Christmas holidays, she still marveled at the clean, structured and polished look of the office.

"I trust that you are here, awaiting Potter and the Weasley's," stated McGonagall who was sitting at her desk, looking at Natalie with an amused glint in her eyes.

"Yes, Professor," said Natalie, shuffling nervously on her feet.

McGonagall sighed. "Natalie, there's no need to call me Professor when we're alone. Haven't I told you that before? Oh, by the way, have you read Kalissa's letter yet?"

"Yes. She's doing very well. As usual, I do not know how she can be so enthusiastic."

The briefest outlines of a smile appeared on McGonagall's face. "Well that's Kalissa for you." She then added in a more solemn tone, "Natalie, there's no need to be pessimistic about things. We survived and Kalissa's much more secure now. And both of us will be able to see her often."

Natalie nodded. She could not help but feel annoyed that both McGonagall and Dumbledore had chose not to reveal Kalissa's location to her. It was a precautionary measure, but Natalie found it to be belittling.

"Potter should be coming any minute now. You're undoubtedly eager to see him," stated McGonagall, watching intently for Natalie's reaction.

Natalie's face flushed. "Well it has been a long time and he probably heard about Christmas."

McGonagall nodded, turning her head back to the essays she had been marking. After a few moments, she raised her head to gaze expectantly at the fireplace. Almost instantly, Natalie heard a loud explosion. Harry, Ron and Ginny spun into view with a thin layer of soot covering them.

"Good evening. Try not to get too much ash on the carpet," said McGonagal dispassionately.

"No, Professor," replied the three in unison.

Harry glanced at Natalie worriedly. He hurriedly cleaned himself on McGonagall's rug and then almost leapt to Natalie, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"How are you?"

Natalie smiled at him, grateful for his uncontrolled concern. "Not bad. It was a pretty eventful holiday." She then added in a hushed tone, only audible to the two of them. "I'll tell you about it later."

Ron had made his way to the two of them. "From what I've heard, pretty eventful is an understatement."

Natalie frowned. She did not want the attack to be a topic of conversation among the Weasley's and Harry. Taking in a slightly curious, but scowling Ginny, Natalie perceived that even she may know too much about what had happened to Kalissa.

"Let's go, shall we?" said Harry anxiously. He sensed Natalie's unease, strengthening his grip on Natalie's shoulders. "Thanks Professor."

McGonagall nodded at Harry. Natalie caught her eye, almost cursing the amused comprehension she detected.

As they trooped out of the office and back to Gryffindor common room, Natalie turned to Ron and Harry, ignoring Ginny. "How were the holidays?"

"Okay. We had our own little surprise on Christmas Eve. Rufus Scrimgeour came over, wanting to 'talk to me'," answered Harry grimly.

"Not kidding?"

"Serious. He gave some rubbish about how I should help the Ministry by advertising to show that they're gaining on Voldemort."

Natalie smirked. "How thick do they think you are?"

Ginny cleared her throat. "Er, sorry Harry and Ron, but I promised I would meet with Dean." Both Harry and Ron nodded. She quickly swept ahead of them, heading for the Common Room.

"I gather she hasn't changed much with respect to her attitude towards me," noted Natalie glumly.

Harry gazed in resignation at Ginny's receding figure. "Yeah, it's taking longer than I expected."

"So what did you tell Scrimgeour?" asked Natalie, keen on changing the subject.

"Basically to go stuff himself and that I'm not going to help the same people who called me a lunatic a few months ago."

"That's the famous Harry Potter."

Ron interrupted their teasing smiles at one another. "Natalie, have you seen Herm–"

"Hermione," exclaimed Natalie, beaming at the brown-haired girl who suddenly appeared at their sides.

Hermione returned Natalie's smile, grinning enthusiastically at she and Harry. "How were the holidays?"

"Pretty good. You wouldn't believe who came on Christmas day –" replied Ron excitedly.

"Natalie and Harry?" interrupted Hermione, refusing to acknowledge Ron.

"Not bad," chorused Natalie and Harry together.

As they reached the portrait hole, Ron stepped forward to say the password. "Baubles," said Ron confidently to the Fat Lady, who was looking rather paler than usual and winced at the loud voice.

"No," she said.

"Honestly, you never get anything right do you?" snapped Hermione. "Witherwings," she said to the Fat Lady in a much more pleasant, cordial tone.

Ron gaped at her in bewilderment. Natalie and Harry were also gazing at Hermione with puzzled expressions.

As soon as they stepped into the Common room, there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms. Several onlookers sniggered; Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over there. Coming you two?"

Natalie looked at Hermione reproachfully. "What was that about there at the portrait?"

"Nothing. Being a prefect, he should know the password."

"Avoiding him is not going to work."

Hermione gave a heavy sigh. "Can we please sit down at the table? There are so many more important things."

"Okay," said Natalie, still scrutinizing Hermione.

"What happened to the Fat Lady?" asked Harry curiously.

Hermione shot him a grateful look, obviously for changing the subject. "Overindulged over Christmas, apparently. She and her friend Violet drank their way through all the wine in that picture of drunk monks down by the Charms corridor."

Harry then looked at Hermione a slightly pleading way. "Hey Hermione, do you think you could with Ron –"

"No, I can't," she said flatly. "So don't even ask."

"I though maybe, you know, over Christmas –"

"It was the Fat Lady who drank a vat of five hundred year old wine, Harry, not me. So what was so eventful about Christmas day that you wanted to tell me, Harry?"

She looked too fierce too argue at that moment, so Harry dropped the subject of Ron and recounted his meeting with Scrimgeour as well as all he had overheard between Malfoy and Snape before the holidays.

With a startle, Natalie remembered her last experience with Snape. Though her attention was fixated on Bellatrix, she had mulled over the rather unpleasant and shocking memory several times. Thinking about the photo, Natalie could not doubt that Snape and Lily Evans were close friends; at least, at one point in their lives. Still, the most stunning suggestion of the picture arose from the look of pure yearning on Snape's face. If Snape had those type of feelings with that strength of intensity, then the man's uncharacteristic somber attitude and more crucially, his complete resentment for Harry could be explained.

A sharp, needling unease prickled against her chest. She instantly recognized the guilt. Harry deserved to know of his mother's past; he knew almost nothing about her childhood. A sense of obligation tugged at her, demanding that she tell him. Yet, Natalie remembered the intoxicated look of the younger Snape in the photo, the sheer intimacy and joy of the moment shared between only those two individuals. With an unpleasant lurch, she also recalled the raging fury on his face when she saw the photo. And Natalie, with the unease continuing to cut further into her insides, arrived at the conclusion that it was not her secret to tell, not her responsibility to violate the moment and intrude on the friendship which Snape obviously cherished.

"Natalie, what do you think about Harry's theory?" asked Hermione, awakening Natalie from her pool of thoughts.

"Er, sorry, I was daydreaming. What were you two talking about?"

Hermione shot her a curious look before answering. "Harry thinks that Malfoy's definitely up to something because Snape offered help to Malfoy and because Malfoy's apparently in contact with Fenrir Greyback."

Natalie suddenly realized the implications of Snape's conversation with Malfoy. "Wait, isn't Snape a spy for the Order?"

"Yes, but according to Voldemort, he's a Death Eater. To me, he's one too. He absolutely worships Voldemort, if you haven't noticed," said Harry harshly.

"You're wrong about him, Harry," replied Natalie defiantly. "At Christmas, he was there and he saved my life as well as that Auror, Nymphadora. He actually killed a Death Eater – I don't think he would do that if he was on Voldemort's side."

Harry looked absolutely gobsmacked at this revelation. "Well, um," Harry spluttered, looking around the common room, searching for an explanation for Snape's behavior.

"We are forever grateful to him for saving you two," said Hermione, also bearing an astounded but slightly pleased look.

Harry's shoulders dropped. "Yes, I suppose both of you are right. Snape would have to be on our side for him to kill a Death Eater. He actually used the Killing Curse on one of them? Snape?"

"Yes," said Natalie, frowning at Harry. She desperately wanted to tell him about Lily, but the livid expression on Snape's face held her back. "I know he's a real git to you Harry, but what he did was undeniably brave. The way he made sure that Nymphadora made it safely to the Hospital wing was extremely admirable."

Harry sighed at Natalie. "I am grateful to him for saving your life and Tonks' life," Harry said slowly, a pained expression unfolding across his face. "But he's so close to Malfoy, though."

"It does not mean that he is in cohorts with Malfoy," said Hermione severely.

"So you do think Malfoy is up to something?" asked Harry, looking triumphantly at Hermione.

"No I do not," Hermione protested. She looked at Natalie. "Why don't we ask Natalie for her opinion?"

Natalie pondered Hermione's question carefully. "I can see why Harry would think that Snape trying to help Malfoy is obvious proof that Malfoy is a Death Eater. Also, the link to Greyback, who from what I know, is a pretty nasty case, is quite suspicious. But Harry, you have to remember that the Malfoy family is notoriously dark so they're affiliated with that type of people. That doesn't mean that Draco Malfoy is involved in the actions of the group, however. I still think he is far too young and inexperienced to be a Death Eater. Ok after what we heard, there's no question that Malfoy's up to something. But I don't think he has either the intelligence or frankly the nerve to try something very dangerous and deadly. It seems like Malfoy is just trying some foolish stunt to show off, especially since his father's in Azkhaban. If Snape knows about Malfoy's activities and if Snape works for Dumbledore, then I'm sure Dumbledore knows about Malfoy and is trying to watch over and control Malfoy. So, you shouldn't worry about that, Harry."

"Both of you are unbelievable," said Harry, shaking his head. "We'll see who's right… you two will be eating your words."

Hermione yawned. "It's been a long day. I think I'll go to sleep now. I've heard enough about your Malfoy theory, Harry. Well, good night to both of you."

Natalie and Harry nodded at her. She hurriedly walked to the stairs to the dormitories and disappeared from sight, keeping her eyes away from the wrestling match that Ron and Lavender were engaged in at the center of the common room.

Harry turned his head intently to Natalie. "I think I need to hear about your _holidays_."

"Oh, they were quite good."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean," he said seriously.

Natalie nodded, her mind very confused. This seemed like the opportune moment to tell him, but it also looked to be too early.

"Let's go outside. It'll be much quieter," suggested Harry, casting Ron and Lavender an annoyed glance.

"Yeah, that would be better. There's a bit too much Won-Won in this room for me."

Harry laughed. They walked together out of the common room, earning a few suspicious glances from huddles of girls around the room.

Once they stepped outside and away from the Fat Lady, Harry wrapped his arms around Natalie's waist, pulling into her a deep, prolonged kiss. After a few, very long and enjoyable moments, Natalie pulled back, breathless and exhilarated. She immediately knew with that degree of intimacy, she could be confident in his trust.

"That was er –"

"Amazing. I was waiting two weeks for that," whispered Harry in Natalie's ear, his lips gently brushing her earlobe.

"Me too," whispered Natalie, her insides purring at his lips' touch.

Harry pulled away, leading her into the empty classroom – the same classroom, Natalie recognized, in which they first kissed.

He placed his arm around her shoulders. The worried, but eager expression returned to his face. "Now tell me what happened."

Before she responded to his question, Natalie quickly cast a Silencing charm on the room. She then took a long breath. With a slight hint of reckless abandon, Natalie decided to release everything about her. A numbness and hollowness seemed to pervade throughout her body as she sensed a definite transition point in her life. "I have a lot to tell you, Harry. Some of it about me – things you don't know – will be extremely shocking. I have one extremely dark secret. So please promise me that you will not judge me. You're the first person I've decided to confide in."

A look of surprise flickered on Harry's features. To Natalie's relief, he composed his face into an expression of pure warmth and understanding. "Of course."

Natalie stared at him cautiously before proceeding. "Ok, you know that Voldemort has been looking for my mother. Well, he found her. On Christmas day, McGonagall came over for Christmas supper. That evening, a whole hoard of Death Eaters invaded my mother's house. Fortunately, my mother had prepared me for such a terrible situation. But, I've never been more afraid in my life. I actually believed that all three of us would not survive." She paused, feeling Harry snuggle closer to her. "Thankfully, we managed to hold off the Death Eaters for about ten minutes before the Aurors and Dumbledore came. A massive battle ensued. Professor Snape managed to take me back to Hogwarts. He saved my life. My mother and McGonagall made it safely away as well and from what I know, the Order did not suffer any casualties – only injuries. So we escaped disaster, at least for the time being."

Harry stared at her in silent shock. He then breathed and cleared his throat. "That's terrible. How did the Death Eaters find you? I thought Dumbledore had made that house impenetrable," said Harry furiously.

"I don't know. But Dumbledore thinks he picked a location that was too far away and easier for Voldemort to detect."

"You were really brave. Lots of people would have just collapsed with shock. To fend off a pack of Death Eaters, that's bloody brilliant," said Harry in admiration.

Natalie blushed, squeezing his hand. "Thanks. But that's not all I have to say."

Natalie could feel Harry's intent gaze pressed upon her. "Ok. What's the shocking secret?"

Natalie turned her face towards him, forcing her eyes to bore into his. "Kalissa is not my mother."

"What?" asked Harry in confusion.

"She's my adopted mother. My blood mother is still living and as you knows, my true father died a long time ago."

"Who's your blood mother?" asked Harry. Natalie could tell that his mind was running profusely.

"I say, again, please do not judge me. I'll tell you the story about her before I reveal her identity. I think you'll be too shocked to listen to my story if you know who she is."

"Okay, go on." Natalie felt a surge of relief to see the gentle compassion saturate his face again. She gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"You know that my father was a Muggle called David Claggerton. My mother came from a very traditional and conservative pure blood family. They had a brief affair and after those few days, they split apart. My mother was married to another person at the time and she felt disgusted for associating with a Muggle – remember she was the typical pureblood who hated Muggles. After those few days, she found that she was pregnant, but because she was married, she assumed it came from marriage. When she gave birth to me, she realized who I was – a half blood and a symbol of her filthy connection to the Muggle world. I meant complete shame and disgrace to her. So being a very cold and heartless woman, she connived a plan to kill me and my father. I assume that she wanted to cover for my birth by saying that I died of some health related complication. She killed my father and left me to burn in my father's house. But before I could die, Kalissa, who lived in the same neighbourhood as my father, intervened – Kalissa had found out about her affair with my father – and she saved me. From then on, Kalissa has raised me as her daughter and I love her like my mother. I regard her as my mother and not that woman who tried to kill me and who still lives."

Disgust and rage had filled Harry's face. "What type of person does that to her own daughter?"

Natalie smiled weakly. He was handling the new information the way she had hoped. "I'm sure a few people come to your mind and she's one of those people."

Harry's eager curiosity reappeared. "So who is your mother?"

"She's a Death Eater."

Harry nodded slowly, a slight frown taking form on his face. Natalie could almost see his mind flash through the list of Death Eaters.

"She's Bellatrix Lestrange."

Harry chuckled. "Nice joke but please be serious. You know, we were having a life changing discussion."

Natalie stared at him, no teasing or mocking glint in her eyes. Harry's face suddenly morphed in understanding. "She's your –"

"Yes. The resemblance is not quite there, but having seen her, you can see where I get some of my features." Natalie found herself saying these words at an excessively fast pace, subconsciously trying to ignore their boggling implications.

Harry abruptly released her shoulders, stepping away from her. He wrapped his hands over his face. Natalie felt a wave of panic and dread bottle inside her throat. This was not the way she had envisioned it.

When Harry revealed his face again after what Natalie deemed an eternity, the compassion in his eyes had disappeared. A nauseating horror had unfolded itself onto his features. He opened his mouth to speak, but initially, no words came out. After a moment of opening and closing his mouth, he finally managed to summon his voice. "Your mother's Bellatrix Lestrange – _her,_" breathed Harry slowly, not bothering to conceal his appalled disdain. A look of stunned realization peeled itself onto Harry's features as if a new, detestable perspective had opened itself for him.

Natalie felt her heart take a terrifying lurch. "Yes, I do but I am only related to her in bloo–"

"Do you have any idea who that _person _is?" asked Harry, his voice becoming louder and increasingly saturated with undeniable contempt.

"Yes," replied Natalie evenly. "I know what she has done."

Harry raised his eyebrows." What she has done? She killed so many people before either of us were born, tortured Neville's parents – I hope you know that – and killed my godfather!" On the last word, Harry's voice mounted to a frustrated shriek.

Natalie felt her temper boiling. "I told you not to judge me. I am not anything like her. I despise her actions. But I do not take responsibility for what she has done," stated Natalie coldly.

Harry looked at her in shocked exasperation. "Natalie, your mother is a woman who practically kisses Voldemort's feet. Have you even seen Neville's parents? What? Do you want me to just say 'That's fine' and let us continue our snogging?"

Natalie stared at him furiously. He had completely ignored what she had said. "Honestly, how idiotic are you? What I expect is for you to understand the difficult situation Kalissa and I are facing and not have a fit of self-righteousness. Unless you haven't noticed, Harry, some of us also have hard lives and unlike you, luck isn't there to save us from stupidity more than once." She glared at him venomously.

"Don't you dare make this about me. I know you suspect that I'm some arrogant, attention seeking snob, but in case you haven't noticed, you're the one who has a maniacal murderer for a mother," said Harry vehemently, returning Natalie's threatening glare.

"You know what, forget about this! I was foolish to even think I could confide in you. You're just as judgmental and naïve as the rest of your bloody Gryffindor clan. Really, go stuff yourself, Harry." Natalie felt like her all of her worries and fears that had accumulated over the past few days would overwhelm her. Before tears flowed out her eyes, she stamped her feet on the ground and began to stomp out of the room. Before she reached the door, Harry grabbed her, turning her to face him. He then let go of her and stared at her. The disgusted shock had left his face to be replaced by a nasty expression of cold, detached anger.

He pointed his finger to her in a deadly accusatory way. "You lied to me."

Natalie clenched her fists. Her eyes brimmed with hot, raging fury. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing? First of all, you stupid boy, I never told you anything about having an adopted mother so there were no grounds for me to lie on. But more importantly, do you think that I would tell you about something like that when we knew each other for only a few weeks? You should be grateful that I'm being so honest after only four months. But obviously, I made a colossal mistake." She placed a nasty emphasis on the last word.

"That night in the Room of Requirement," said Harry in a dangerous, low tone. "You told me she killed your father, but you never told me about her being your mother. It must have been crossed your mind, did it not? You clearly had little trust in me then. Moreover, I confided in you; I told you about some of my deepest insecurities and all that time, you were nursing this information."

"I didn't lie to you Harry!" Natalie shouted. "I only told you that she killed my father and that was true!"

"The technicalities never matter, Natalie. You hid something from me and that's the fact. You acted as if you and your mother were some sort of noble partnership with nothing to hide or be concerned about. And now, what do I know?"

Natalie was now shaking viciously. "I thank you for being so candid with me, but if you manage to wrap your thick skull around what I'm saying, then you'll realize that this secret holds too much danger to be revealed so easily. Stop thinking about yourself, you thick oaf," hissed Natalie.

Harry started to look at her in a more calculating, perceptive manner, still with the bitter anger etched all over his face. "Why did you decide to tell me, now? Obviously to you, our relationship has not progressed that far to merit honesty, but coincidentally, after the Death Eaters attack you and your _adopted mother_, you decide to release this to me."

Natalie gritted her teeth. He was being unbearably irrational. But moreover, this type of instinctive detective thinking, surveying her like she was some dark mystery that he had to unravel, infuriated and unsettled her. "Unlike how you have foolishly deducted, I do value our relationship. And after the attack, I needed somebody for comfort. So I naturally turned to you." The words were out. Natalie felt like she was presenting her last scrap of proof and justification to him.

An expression of sickening realization became draped over Harry's face. He again lifted his finger towards her. "You met her that night, didn't you? And she knows. You figured you might as tell somebody now that the secret is already out in the open," stated Harry flatly, resentment laced his voice.

Natalie breathed deeply. Her spirits were tumbling far too rapidly. She did not know what to say but the truth. "If you want to know the truth – obviously you cannot handle it – I did meet her for the first time. And she used Legilimancy to find out who I was."

A triumphant gleam passed into Harry's eyes like he had confirmed an important fact. "See, you're still lying to me! You never cared about our friendship. This is all about protecting you and Kalissa."

"How did you come to that wonderful conclusion, Sherlock Holmes?" spat Natalie disgustedly.

Harry gave a mirthless laugh. "Now that dear Bellatrix knows about you, you're so desperate that you want to bring all of us along with you – myself, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, McGonagall into this great mess that you, your adopted mother and Bellatrix have created."

The suggestion that she somehow had caused her own situation and had brought others into danger aroused massive surges of guilt. This guilt fueled her temper. She ran towards Harry, slapping him harshly in the face. "You are the thickest, most stubborn, selfish person I've ever met! How could I think that you would actually accept me?" shrieked Natalie, tears finally bursting out of her eyes.

Harry looked back at her with a baffled and slightly hurt look. This only made Natalie more upset. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" yelled Natalie, her face contorted in anger.

An apologetic expression crossed Harry's face. "Look, maybe we can talk this over. I said some bad things," said Harry quietly.

Natalie stabbed her wand in his chest. "Get out," she hissed in a low, dangerous tone. "Or maybe I'll be like my _mother_ and show you how to do the Cruciatus curse."

Harry gawked at her in a mixture of anger and stunned apprehension. Walking backwards, he approached the door and with one last astonished glance, he ran.

As Natalie heard his footsteps fade, she collapsed on the desk, sobbing uncontrollably. She felt like she had just fallen off a cliff. Unfortunately for her, the landing would never come.

erHhHermHeHermione's e


	17. A Best Friend

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the past few chapters. This will be the last chapter for a couple of weeks

Chapter 17- A Best Friend

Natalie stepped through the portrait, warily noting the empty Common room. It had been an extremely long night. After Harry had left, she had spent an indefinite period of time, walking around the castle, desperately trying not to confront the powerful waves of trepidation and shame that were crashing tumultuously against her stomach. But now, as she lowered herself into her favorite armchair, she conceded that she had made a grave mistake.

Suddenly, Natalie heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She swiveled her head slowly around to see Hermione hurriedly approaching her. Natalie made to stand up, but Hermione rather firmly motioned for her to stay seated. She sat down in the armchair opposite Natalie.

Seeing Natalie's red eyes and drooping head, Hermione asked worriedly, "What happened? I heard from Parvati that Harry had come back in a right fit. I went down to check on you but I couldn't find you. I've been waiting since."

Natalie's spirits lifted as she realized the strength of their very recent friendship. She was immensely grateful for Hermione's concern and her present company. Wiping her eyes, Natalie answered, her voice quivering, "We had a fight. He said some bad things. I said some nasty things. It didn't go very well. I walked around the castle to try to clear my head, but obviously, I'm still in a right mess." Natalie could not help but sob on the last word.

Hermione wrapped her arms around Natalie. Her face had softened into an expression of utter understanding. "Don't worry so much Natalie. You two will get over it. Harry's not the type to keep a grudge for a very long time and neither are you."

Natalie lowered her head, laughing somberly. She realized that Hermione had no idea about the true cause of their fight. "I don't think it will take a short time to overcome this fight. I, er, told him some pretty revealing things about me and, er, I think he's a bit –actually extremely – confused and angry."

She could sense Hermione's eyes narrow slightly as she gave Natalie's shoulders a tiny squeeze.

Natalie sighed. She had just placed herself in another compromising position. But upon looking at the unwavering compassion on Hermione's face, an extremely reckless abandon surged through Natalie. She was humiliated, frustrated and desperate. She found herself overcome by an intense desire to defy that fatal inevitability which now had inveigled her relationship with Harry. Rationality had become vastly irrelevant; all Natalie wanted to do was prove that someone could believe and accept her.

"Hermione?" asked Natalie tentatively.

"Yes," replied Hermione gently.

"Can I tell you about what I told Harry?" posed Natalie, still very softly.

"Of course," stammered Hermione, taken aback by Natalie's hesitation.

Natalie raised her head to meet Hermione's eyes. She carefully removed Hermione's hands from her shoulders. She stopped trembling, pushing down her convulsions and composed her face into the same concentrated, sedulous look that she had employed unsuccessfully with Harry.

With the sense of blindly entering a situation fraught with danger, Natalie opened her mouth. "Hermione, did you hear about the Death Eater attack that on my mother and me during the holidays?"

"No – what happened?" gasped Hermione, looking absolutely flabbergasted.

Natalie smiled. "You know, that my mother is hiding from Voldemort?"

Hermione nodded, still gawking at Natalie.

"Well, there is more to my mother and myself than we've been telling everybody. Oh god, Hermione. Relax. I'm here, am I not? I need you to calm down first."

Natalie was glad to see that Hermione quickly straightened herself, nodding silently at Natalie to continue. Natalie then proceeded to relay her story again, this time to Hermione. She revealed the identity of Bellatrix first before describing the attack on Christmas day, hoping that Hermione would have some time to absorb the information. Natalie was extremely relieved to see that Hermione's reaction to Bellatrix was far less profound. Hermione had merely closed and opened her eyes several times before regaining her focus and telling to Natalie to move along.

After Natalie had finished, Hermione looked at her with a combination of admiration and regret. "I'm so sorry Natalie about everything. I have no idea about how burdensome it must be to carry a secret like that for such a long time."

Natalie raised her eyebrows in bewilderment. "You're not shocked? I hope you know that my mother is a mass murderer who might be looking for me right now."

Hermione looked sadly at Natalie. "It is quite an intricate connection you share with her. I mean she has done all of these disgusting things and well, you can't deny that she's your mother. "

"Please do not judge me, Hermione," stated Natalie coolly.

Hermione's face flushed. "Oh no, I'm sorry Natalie. I wasn't judging you at all. It's just well difficult to grapple that she's, er, so close to you. Even for me, a secret like this is not that ordinary. "

Natalie's face turned somber. "Don't think I haven't gone over that many times before. She is invariably the woman who I sprung from. And I know that I do not at all follow the typical standard in the wizarding world, but there's nothing I can do to change that. It's my burden and not for anybody else to offer their interpretation. So you either accept me or you don't." Despite the firm, challenging statement, Natalie feared that Hermione had only now fully grasped the shocking significance of Natalie's background.

Hermione's face hardened. "Listen, Natalie, I am not judging you. I can inform with you with full certainty that you are the complete opposite of Bellatrix Lestrange. I know that you are her daughter in only one way which does not at all alter my view of you. You are still one of my best friends."

Natalie surveyed Hermione closely before accepting her explanation. Her face softened into one of relieved gratitude. "Thanks, Hermione. You're not that shocked then, are you?"

Hermione laughed shakily. "If you want to know the truth, I am quite stunned. It's like I'm seeing a completely new perspective – but one in which you do not change. But your secret does not deviate as far you think from what I thought of you."

"What?" mouthed Natalie, feeling another sharp rise of trepidation.

"Oh no, Natalie, I never thought of you in a bad way. Well, it's just that you always acted like you were carrying some sort of burden. You see, I can decipher that type of behavior, being around Harry for so long. So, though the identity of your mother is undoubtedly boggling, the fact that you had a pretty dark secret is not wholly unexpected."

Natalie scrunched her eyebrows. She did not enjoy the idea that Hermione had been holding some type of mysterious reservation about her. "So you basically thought there was something funny about me?" asked Natalie, a bit too defensively.

Hermione shook her head frantically. "Oh no, Natalie. It's just that you came out of almost nowhere and you seemed so worried initially. I sensed something was wrong – I never fully believed in the idea after I saw how great a person you are. It's just an instinct. I do trust you a lot – why would I confide in you about Ron?" Hermione's face had become very flushed.

Natalie realized that Hermione had not been suspicious, but just merely curious. The girl had used careful, logical reasoning to assess her while at the same time, treating and trusting Natalie like a very close friend. With this knowledge, she gave Hermione her warmest, most genuine smile. For some reason, she felt oddly ebullient, knowing that at least someone had construed her in the proper way. "You know, Hermione, for someone who can't tell that her best friend for six years is completely in love with her, you're a pretty good mind reader," said Natalie jokingly.

Hermione sighed in relief. "Well, let's not get into my troubles," she added in a slightly stern tone.

Hermione looked at Natalie in pure understanding and compassion. "So how has it been, holding something like that for so long? When, did you first know?"

Strangely, Natalie did not feel uncomfortable, talking to Hermione about Bellatrix when Hermione had subconsciously shown her true loyalty to Natalie. "I learned about Bellatrix when I was about six years old. Then, it wasn't as bad since I didn't know about her. But as I've come to learn about all her crimes, it's become far worse."

"But, remember, you are absolutely nothing like her. There is not one single speck of malevolence or cruelty in you." Natalie could almost taste the full bodied, consuming protectiveness that suffused Hermione's voice.

Natalie clicked her tongue. "Kalissa always tells me that, but thanks for the compliment. It still doesn't erase all her image has done to me and then to see her…" Natalie convulsed rather violently, causing Hermione to pull Natalie into another tight hug.

Natalie continued to try to talk. She wanted to relieve herself of this burden. "To see her in reality and not in dreams or in my mind was sort of numbing, but somehow, disappointing. I guess that I had let myself partly believe that she nurtured at least a tiny portion of motherly love for me. But I know, now, that she is just a horrible monster who won't think twice about killing me even if she knows who I am."

Hermione nodded knowingly. "Those are perfectly normal feelings. Well the situation is not normal, but your emotions are just human nature."

Tears streamed down Natalie's face. "Thanks so much Hermione. You're taking it far better than Harry did. A true friend."

Hermione pulled herself from Natalie, scrutinizing Natalie carefully. "How did Harry specifically react?"

Natalie breathed. A grim disappointment obscured her face. "Very badly. He was first – well not a bit – extremely disgusted about her being my mother. He didn't know how I could, er, be indifferent to all her crimes –"

"But, you're obviously not! From the way you talk about her, it's clear that you more than despise her!" cried Hermione, bringing another smile to Natalie's face.

"Yes well – thank you Hermione. I said some bad things about how he was so noble and always wanted to save everybody. Then, when I wanted to leave, he held me back and asked me why I 'lied' to him. I've never seen him so angry. He then guessed that I saw her on Christmas day, suggesting that somehow I was telling him to protect myself and Kalissa. He ended his big speech by informing me rather viciously that I would place so many people – including you – in danger if she knew I was her daughter."

Hermione frowned. "That was actually quite irrational and selfish of him. He never gets so inconsiderate and well – cruel. I'm sorry Natalie. It must hurt quite a bit."

Natalie struggled to keep herself from crying again. He had been quite malevolent. "Yeah, well, you can see why I said that it's pretty unlikely that we'll come out of this fight unscathed."

Hermione pursed her lips. "It probably will take time, but can I offer my interpretation of Harry's behavior?"

"You said that this does not follow his normal pattern," stated Natalie quietly.

"It doesn't, but well listen to me on this one. He, and well you can include Ron and Ginny in this, have a pretty naïve and what I would call, childish, perception of the world. They only see good and evil – to them, there is a pretty clear boundary. So I'm guessing that when Harry heard about Bellatrix, naturally, his conscience was stunned. Your background does not abide by everything that he has seen – people coming from evil families usually tend to follow the same path in the wizarding world. He also strongly associates your mother, because she killed Sirius, with Voldemort so I think that some of his anger towards her became directed towards you. But most importantly, Natalie, I think he's just completely befuddled – he's seeing the world in a conflicted way and he's frustrated."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at Hermione. "That was quite an impressive analysis, Miss Granger, though I'd advise you next time not to talk at the speed of light."

"Yeah, ok, but do you agree with me?" said Hermione, looking at Natalie expectantly.

Natalie considered her. Hermione's perspective had a rational basis and it somewhat blended into her view of Harry. More crucially to Natalie, Hermione's suggestion implied that Harry did not harbor any hatred for her, but rather indicated that he was simply confused and perhaps traumatized. However, she could not let herself lean too heavily on hope; that same emotion had instilled a blind trust in Harry's objectivity. "Well, it makes sense. But we'll see how he reacts in the next few days to see whether you're right."

Hermione smiled at Natalie, taking in her depressed state. "Natalie, you and Harry do have a inexorable relationship. Both of you are pretty amenable so I don't see this dispute lasting for very long. For heaven's sake, do you honestly think that Harry is as thick headed as Ron?"

Natalie smirked. "No, I think Ron has that label to himself. Well, I'll try to talk to Harry eventually and hopefully, things can come around."

"Not eventually, soon."

Natalie shrugged. "We'll see."

Hermione sighed. "Ok, let's go to sleep, shall we?"

"Definitely." Natalie realized that it had to be extremely late. And she wanted to sleep so as to finally end this day. She desperately wanted for this evening to become another small fragment of her vast array of memory that had been allocated for Bellatrix, another dirty color on that palette.

As they walked up the stairs, Natalie turned to Hermione, "Thanks, Hermione. I really do appreciate your friendship."

Hermione shrugged. "You helped me when Ron was, er, well you know."

A surreptitious grin played its way onto Natalie's features. "So about Ron –"

Hermione raised her hand to stop Natalie. "No, we are not talking about that, tonight," ordered Hermione in a very stern, reproachful tone.

"Oh, don't worry, _eventually,_ we will," said Natalie mockingly.

Hermione shoved Natalie gently. Together, they quietly stepped into their dormitory, retreated to their respective beds and curled under their bedsheets. Natalie noticed with a pang of surprise that she felt pleasantly refreshed.


	18. Snape's Other Side

Chapter 18- Snape's Other Side

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait(over three weeks I think). I only arrived back yesterday. Thanks very much to all the reviewers, all the people who put the story on alert and listed it as one of their favorites. Once again, thanks to my sister for editing this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own zero percent of the wizarding world.**

Natalie jerked her body around to see the familiar mess of raven hair and spectacles brushing past her. She reached out for his shoulder.

"Harry," said Natalie softly, somehow hoping that he heard.

He paused in his step, tensing. Then, without a further acknowledgement, he continued to walk to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ron, who was strolling alongside Harry, cast Natalie an annoyed glance that Natalie made sure to return.

Natalie clenched her fists angrily. Fortunately, this time, it had been only the three of them and not an entire crowd to witness Harry deliberately ignore her. It had been almost two weeks since she had told Harry about her past and they had their first, but extremely vicious row. He had not a said to word her since then, barely even appearing to notice her presence though Natalie sensed that he occasionally sent a venomous and frustrated glare in her direction when her eyes were turned away. She heaved an exasperated sigh. The last two weeks, even though she was able to take refuge in Hermione's understanding, had been extremely painful.

She constantly wondered whether she had made a mistake in confiding in Harry. She knew he was trustworthy because Ron definitely had not been informed – or else, she would have certainly had to deal with his temper. However, looking back upon her decision to tell Harry, she contemplated whether the decision had sprung out of her own desperate need for comfort and assurance after the Death Eater attack. The attack seemed to have placed an aura of fatality around herself; her desire to tell Harry often appeared to be a makeshift attempt to lift herself out of that morbid air. Yet, Hermione had believed her and their friendship, after she had confessed to Hermione, had strengthened considerably. So clearly, Natalie's frankness had not been as grave a mistake as she suspected. And Hermione's acceptance had infused a flicker of ebullience into Natalie.

Still, she felt mostly angered and hurt by Harry's brash refusal to accept her. She knew that he did not truly believe that Natalie had purposefully deceived him. Hermione was right. His unwavering view of the definite barrier between good and evil in the Wizarding World was not only unbearably superficial, but completely wrong and unfair. Every time he had walked away from her when she had tried to talk to him these past two weeks, she felt an intense urge to shake him, scream in his face and show him how irrational he was acting.

Natalie let out a breath she did not know she was holding and followed the other two to Defense Against the Dark Arts. She sat down alongside Hermione at the very end of the table. Their table had become clearly divided. Harry at one end, Natalie at the other and Hermione, in the middle, who frequently and unsuccessfully tried to be the mediator. Unfortunately, almost everybody else in the class had become aware of their dispute with Lavender and Parvati almost always looking excitedly at her. Behind Harry, they were the next two people she would take the most pleasure in hexing.

"I gather by the rather sullen looks on both of your faces, that you tried to talk to Harry again," muttered Hermione out of the corner of her mouth.

Natalie nodded morosely. "Waste of time. He won't even look at me. Bloody idiot. Who does he think he is?"

"Harry Potter," whispered Hermione, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth.

Natalie punched her in the shoulder. "Oh shut up, will you? I'm already pissed at him without having to think about that garbage," said Natalie grumpily, only causing Hermione's grin to become more mischievous.

"Miss Malkae, can you please refrain from hitting Miss Granger? This is my class and not the Gryffindor common room where I do not even want to contemplate how you behave. 20 points from Gryffindor," said Snape harshly as he began to conjure his wand to write on the blackboard. Almost all of the Gryffindors shot Snape outraged looks. Natalie merely sighed. That was another problem. He had been particularly malevolent towards her even since she had seen his picture.

The class proceeded rather smoothly. Natalie, Harry and Hermione were the only students who managed to successfully perform the Repelling jinx silently. At the end of the period, as she made to exit the classroom with the rest of the class, Snape called to her. "Miss Malkae, stay behind. I have to discuss your rather disgraceful behavior over the past few weeks."

Natalie slowly turned around, now seething. She returned to her desk, waiting for the class to exit and giving Snape her most loathsome and detestable glare. Most of the students glanced curiously at her. She felt Harry's eyes flicker towards her before he quickly left.

Once the students had left, Snape gestured dispassionately to his office. "Please come to my office, Miss Malkae. I do not want to be interrupted by any prying ears."

Still staring at Snape furiously, Natalie followed him to his office upstairs. Upon entering the office, she noticed that it was quite plain for a teacher's study. He had a clean, polished oak desk with neatly organized stacks of parchment and quills. His bookcase contained a large collection of old, musty books that seemed to have been thoroughly used. But still, the books were numerous; obviously, Snape was an intellectual no matter how malicious he was. Other than those two objects, his office consisted of a single chair for a guest. Natalie was surprised that he had not made a deliberate attempt to adorn the office in Slytherin green or perhaps extend his classroom's vast assortment of gruesome and melancholic portraits.

"Miss Malkae, you can wipe that look off your face. I did not call you to my office to discuss your behavior," said Snape coolly, with no animus or sarcasm. He was gazing intently at his bookcase, his body partially turned away from Natalie.

Natalie lifted her head, startled. There was only one other thing that he could want to discuss alone with her.

"I trust that you remember what happened in the dungeons, the day I took you away from your mother's house during the holidays," said Snape vivaciously.

"Yes," croaked Natalie, barely able to contain her nervousness. She remembered too vividly how he had reacted.

"And I trust that you have not told anyone about that incident," stated Snape, swiveling his body very quickly to now examine her.

"Of course not," stammered Natalie. Snape nodded, a satisfied expression on his face.

"Thank you for the discretion you have shown. Obviously, you have not taken after Potter in every aspect."

Natalie's resentment for the man abruptly returned.

Snape's gaze moved away from her, focusing on a point on the wall behind her. His eyes narrowed and the traces of a frown appeared on his features. He seemed to be in the midst of making a decision. After a few moments of staring at the wall in this atypical contemplativeness, Snape clenched his fists, returning his eyes to her. The suspicion and maliciousness had vacated his gaze to be replaced by a cool impassiveness.

"You must be wondering, as annoyingly inquisitive as you are, why I have chosen to talk about that incident to you."

"It was an, er, awkward moment," replied Natalie uncomfortably.

Snape's gaze hardened. He unclenched his fists. Apparently, her answer seemed to galvanize him. "Yes, it was. But this needs to be cleared between the two of us. I think it would be beneficial for both of us if you see the picture again." Snape held the very recognizable photograph to Natalie.

Natalie had to stop herself from gaping in shock. She had no inkling as to why he would feel obliged to show her the picture, especially if it held some deep, exposing secret.

"Well, take it. Do not act like some foolish girl," said Snape impatiently, his voice rising.

Natalie's anger again resurfaced. She rather briskly snatched the picture from Snape's hands, pressing her eyes upon it for the second time. She was not wrong the first time she had seen the photograph. The teenage Snape certainly was utterly intoxicated by Lily Potter's presence.

"Why?" mouthed Natalie, lifting her head to meet an intent Snape.

Snape locked his eyes with her, unsettling Natalie. "I did not want you to have any misconceptions about that photograph and then spin tales to your Gryffindor friends. It's better if we talked in a more civilized manner than last time," stated Snape forcefully, seeming to will his eyes to remain fixated on her.

Natalie almost laughed. That was Snape's poor, but sincere attempt at an apology.

"Judging by your shock last time, you do know who the girl in the photograph is," said Snape much less aggressively.

"Yes." Natalie paused, trying to choose her words. "Harry's mother. She's very beautiful – actually breathtaking. I've quite never seen anyone so –"

"Indomitable," finished Snape. His face immediately hardened. His hands returned to their clenched form. Natalie perceived that this was Snape's embarrassed look.

"So you two were friends? Very close friends from what I can see," blurted Natalie. She cringed a moment later, realizing that she may have gone too far.

"I see that your curiosity has piqued, Miss Malkae, though I never told you to ask any questions," said Snape scathingly

Natalie gritted her teeth, setting her eyes upon the picture to calm herself.

"But, yes, we were. Lily Evans and myself grew up in the same area as children," said Snape very quickly, turning his face away from her.

Natalie was quite taken aback. She had expected another sharp reprimand, not an abrupt shift to a sentimental tone, an attitude Natalie would never have believed Snape had.

"That's nice – I mean it's quite pleasant to know somebody like that before school," said Natalie, trying to sound as gentle and ingenuous as she could.

"It was pleasant. But I made some very foolish mistakes. I insulted her, chose the wrong friends and we grew very far apart. That picture was taken in the last summer in which we were…close," muttered Snape more to himself than Natalie, his voice laced with grim bitterness, regret and longing. Natalie could tell that it pained him immensely to contemplate his relationship with Lily.

Suddenly, a romantic nostalgia rushed into Natalie. She could see the two of them. Snape, who was completely submerged in Lily's charm, gazing hungrily into those unending, green eyes. In the great, penetrating depths, he must have seen a vision, a future that included both of them and that was impervious to the hostility and hatred of the time – Voldemort's stranglehold on the Wizarding World before Harry appeared. Yet, they did not escape the fatality of those forces. Snape's unnaturally morose demeanor became suddenly natural and sad. To him, Harry's mere presence symbolized the severing of an once unyielding friendship, the degradation of a love to the dust of regret and a relentless stream of memories that culminated irrevocably on the death of her and on the death of his hope.

Snape's eyes flashed dangerously. He gripped his desk tightly, starting to tremble. Natalie perceived that he had realized that he had opened himself so fully in her presence. "Can I have the picture back?" snapped Snape.

Natalie handed him the photograph, not indignant at his curtness with her. She smiled at him. "Thanks for being so honest with me, Professor. I really do appreciate it. And thanks again for saving my life," said Natalie quietly.

Snape blinked disbelievingly. Obviously, he had not been around many understanding people in his life. He surveyed her closely before nodding, still shaking slightly.

"I think you should go now, Miss Malkae. Supper will be almost over and your little posse will be waiting anxiously," said Snape, the sarcastic edge returning to his voice.

Natalie shrugged, recognizing that the hostility between them would not dissipate completely. She turned to leave.

"Wait."

Natalie looked at him with a perplexed expression on his face. "What do you want, Professor?"

"You are not to tell anyone of our discussion tonight. If they ask, tell them that I did indeed chastise you for your, er, disgusting behavior over the past two weeks," ordered Snape icily. His face had become strangely contorted with a combination of agonizing shame and mounting resentment.

Natalie narrowed her eyes. She did feel perturbed that he thought her to be so naïve and unreliable. "Of course, I will not. And you do not need to tell me that."

Snape's lips curled. Natalie prepared for some nasty, malicious comment.

Instead, Snape steadied himself. He stopped shaking and stopped gripping his desk. His face solidified into the dark indifference she associated with him. "Very well. You may go."

Natalie nodded, walking out of the office. She found herself to be in very high spirits. She had managed her first cordial encounter with Snape, who throughout the year had displayed nothing, but vicious contempt for her, while to her relief, reaching an agreement about their rather contentious encounter over the break. More importantly, she had come to somewhat understand the man's predicament, feeling a deep surge of compassion for all the loss and pain he had to endure. Her brief conversation with him had provided her with a crucial sense of clarity that bolstered her, injecting a burst of inspiration.

As she walked down the empty staircase to the dining hall, Natalie spotted the familiar mess of raven hair and askew spectacles in front of her. This time, at the sight of the boy who had given her far too many sleepless nights over the past fortnight, Natalie did not experience a jolt of bitter frustration, but rather, an adventurous and daring bravado came alive within her. If she could have a relatively friendly, but highly revealing conversation with Snape, then she reasoned that she and Harry could also at least come to terms with each other.

"Hello, Harry," said Natalie cheerfully.

He turned around, staring at her with a baffled expression.

"Why so perplexed, Harry?" said Natalie, still trying to maintain her pleasant tone.

Harry looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you so happy to talk to me? And by the way, what did Snape want with you?"

"Snape just wanted to tell me not to 'look' at him in such an offensive way."

Harry frowned. "I don't know why he's so nasty to you. He treats you far too unfairly, considering that you don't do anything to irritate him."

Natalie smiled. Her spirits were climbing rapidly. He had just defended her position quite adamantly so perhaps, he had seen the error in his ways.

"So why are you so happy to see me of all people after Snape's shouted at you?" asked Harry again, examining her reaction carefully.

Natalie sighed, slightly discouraged. "Why do you always have to be the detective?" exclaimed Natalie jokingly.

Harry scratched his chin mockingly. "Well, let's see, when there are people like you who keep these huge secrets hidden, then why shouldn't I be suspicious?" retorted Harry vehemently, completely missing the sarcastic tone to Natalie's comment.

Natalie bit her lip, starting to believe that she may have been far too optimistic in thinking that his belligerent attitude towards her had changed. "Harry, we do need to have a serious talk about what I told you," said Natalie, gazing solemnly at him.

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "Oh, so you're scared that I'm going to tell the rest of Hogwarts who you have for a mother. It's nice to know how much faith you have in me."

Natalie raised her hands in exasperation. "You completely missed my point. I trust you and I know that you will keep my secret – that's why I chose to confide you in the first place. If you would just be able to think in a proper logical manner, you'll see that I meant that we should both talk about our reactions and feelings towards my secret."

"I'm sure you've given your feelings a great deal of thought," said Harry scornfully.

"You are so bloody stubborn! You don't honestly enjoy this, do you?"

"What is 'this' exactly?" spat Harry, his face turning into a sneer worthy of Snape.

Natalie stomped her foot angrily. "You know what exactly I mean – all of the constant ignoring and silence, the bickering and accusations. We haven't had a decent conversation in weeks."

"You're the one who started this mess," said Harry irately.

Natalie waved her finger furiously at him. "Oh no, don't blame me for this, Harry Potter. You should be grateful that I valued our relationship so much that you were the first person I've ever chosen to confide in. It's your stupid Gryffindor ego that has ruined our friendship."

Harry scratched his head mockingly. "Last time I checked, you were in Gryffindor too."

"Stop avoiding the topic! Don't you see how thick-headed you are being?"

"Oh and I suppose you're Mother Teresa."

"What does that mean?" asked Natalie belligerently. Her temper was boiling very rapidly.

Harry looked around before turning to her with that unnatural sneer on his face. "You know what I am saying. Your mother is a cold, heartless murderer who is now openly terrifying all of the innocent families that she destroyed last time she was allowed to prance around. And yet, you pretend that there is nothing wrong with that – you don't even show any intention to stop her. But even more, you expect me to somehow accept your 'little' secret."

"How dare you say that! I absolutely despise my mother, Harry, but I don't have any control over her actions. What you're saying is complete rubbish. In case you didn't know, I told Hermione and she accepted me. It's just you who cannot see that evil and good do overlap," stated Natalie viciously. Her heart had turned to stone. Brutal, biting anger coursed through her. His comments about her were utter waffle.

Harry laughed, a cold, empty laugh that unnerved Natalie. "Oh, don't worry, I know about Hermione. But I'm not as naïve as her. I trusted you, but you clearly do not trust me. This entire confession to me is some sort of way for you to cope with the fact that she knows you're her daughter, not some valiant attempt at honesty."

Natalie slapped his cheek. He stepped away from her, staring at her in astonishment.

"You're lucky a Professor didn't see you do that," said Harry coldly.

Natalie could feel the tears welling in her eyes, but before she could walk away from Harry, a familiar, piercing voice rang through the air.

"Harry Potter!" exclaimed Hermione shrilly, appearing from behind Natalie. She supposed she was too occupied with Harry to notice the brown haired girl approach.

"What are you doing here?" said Harry, glaring at Hermione.

"Defending a friend," stated Hermione icily. "And the friend I'm defending isn't you."

"How much did you hear?" said Harry, narrowing his eyes at her.

Hermione stepped in front of Natalie, her hands on her hips. "Enough to know that you deserved every bit of that slap. Honestly, Harry, you can be so cruel sometimes."

"This is none of your business," snapped Harry.

"Yes it is," Hermione retorted vehemently. "Because Natalie is my friend and when you hurt her like you have, I am entitled to be absolutely furious on her behalf."

Harry gazed incredulously at Hermione. "If you want to feel that way, then you can," said Harry hollowly.

He swiveled his body around, beginning to walk away. But after a few steps, he turned his head to look at Natalie, a softer expression on his face. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but only managed to stare blankly at her.

"Want to tell me how much more betrayed you feel?" said Natalie caustically, her temper getting the better of her. As soon as the words tumbled out of her mouth, she felt instant regret, realizing she may have wasted an opportunity for Harry to talk civilly to her.

Harry's gaze immediately hardened, the scorching fury returning. "Unbelievable," muttered Harry before he abruptly turned on his heel and walked quickly away.

As soon as he left, the tears poured relentlessly out of Natalie's eyes. Hermione's arms came around her, holding her tightly against the other girl. She tried to stop herself from bending over in agony as the salt of her eyes stung her eyes.

"Thanks so much, Hermione," Natalie whispered, brushing the tears away from her eyes.

"You deserve better from Harry," said Hermione, shaking her head. "He'll come around, but he's being an absolute git."

Natalie gave a hollow laugh. "You're right about that. What did you hear?"

"I was planning on waiting for you, but some of the Ravenclaws wanted to ask me questions about Ancient Runes. I found you with Harry when you said that part about his detective nature – I didn't want to barge in, but after you hit him, I thought I should come to prevent things from getting out of hand."

"Good thing you were the only one that overheard."

"I cast a Silencing charm around the two of you anyway," said Hermione, smiling. "I would have confounded anyone who came, but next time, do pick your fights in a more secluded location."

"Definitely," said Natalie ruefully. "I'll make sure to arrange an appointment with him for when we can scream and shout at one another."

"You forgot to mention the slapping," said Hermione, chuckling. "Why don't we go to the kitchens and pick up supper there?"

"Good idea," said Natalie, pulling herself away. "I need to get my mind off Harry." Even as she said the words in a fierce, forthright tone, an empty sadness pervaded her. She knew her mind would never digress from Harry's anger for so long.


	19. Seeing Kalissa

Chapter 19- Seeing Kalissa

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the last chapter. Once again, thanks to my sister for diligently editing this chapter!

Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own zero percent of the Wizarding world.

"Keep up Natalie," urged Minerva as they entered a hidden tunnel Natalie did not know existed.

"What is this?" asked a baffled Natalie as they walked quickly through the tunnel. To Natalie's shock, they had come into a room that spontaneously appeared from which this tunnel opened. After all of her perusing over the summer and after seeing Harry's Marauder's map, she was certain that no passageway in the castle lay outside of her knowledge.

Natalie could sense Minerva sigh beside her. "It's one of the safest passages in the castle – only myself, Dumbledore and the Hog's Head barmen know about it. That's why Potter's map doesn't contain the tunnel."

Natalie was not very pleased with the vague reply but she did not know that they were going to the Hog's Head. "The Hog's Head? Er, Minerva, are we meeting Kalissa there?"

"Yes."

"Er, is that safe?"

Minerva clicked her tongue. "Dumbledore has arranged for his brother, Aberforth who is the barman at the Hog's Head, for us to meet in a very secure and closed room in the pub. It's much less conspicuous than let's say the Three Broomsticks."

"Dumbledore's brother works at the Hog's Head?" asked Natalie, very surprised. She did not know that Dumbledore had a brother, but even more, she would have expected a sibling of the great wizard to be anything other than a barman at a shabby place like the Hog's Head.

"Natalie, no more questions please. We have to hurry. Aberforth is only keeping the tunnel open for a certain time period. You can ask Kalissa about Aberforth."

Natalie nodded, lengthening her strides to keep up with Minerva. The tunnel curled sinuously until they abruptly arrived at the back of what Natalie presumed to be a portrait. Minerva tapped on the portrait. The portrait immediately opened, revealing the groggy, grey haired barman Natalie remembered from her summer visits. He quickly pulled both of them across the entrance, ushering them out of the room. Natalie barely had time to notice that the tunnel ended in a bedroom, likely his bedroom. Minerva nodded in gratitude.

"Up the staircase on the left. Open the broom closet and you'll see," muttered Aberforth. He glared at a dumbfounded Natalie before rushing down the other staircase to return to the pub.

"Come on, let's go Natalie."

They followed Aberforth's directions to arrive at an extremely small broom closet. Natalie suspected the appearance was just an illusion.

Minerva waved her wand in a complicated motion before the closet opened to reveal a polished, oak door. Natalie smiled. Minerva nodded at her. "Go in. I'll come in later."

Natalie glanced at Minerva confusedly before she opened the door to see a beaming Kalissa.

Kalissa rushed to Natalie, embracing her tightly. Natalie let herself be drowned in her guardian's hair, inhaling the sweet scent and reveling in one of the few moments of pure bliss.

As they pulled apart, Kalissa studied her more closely. "My my, Natalie. You look absolutely terrible!" gasped Kalissa.

Natalie brushed her hair away in frustration. "Nothing's changed," she said indifferently.

Kalissa rolled her eyes. "Don't play with me, Natalie. I've known you for 16 years and you've never looked like this."

"I'm just having some social troubles at school. It's nothing compared to what you've been through. How's the new place been?" Natalie knew that this feeble response would do nothing to deter Kalissa, but she did want to hear about Kalissa's position before she started explaining about how much more exposed she was.

Kalissa shook her head. "No, this is about you. Everything's been fine with me. But obviously these social troubles aren't trivial at all. Please tell me what's wrong, but first, we need to talk about what happened on Christmas night."

Natalie let out a breath she did not know she was holding. Though the memory of her mother frequently sent rippling waves of shock and anger through her, Harry's refusal to acknowledge her presence had overtaken her mother as the source of most of her worries.

"Kalissa, it's not something I'm particularly fond of describing again," began Natalie anxiously. "But you are right. We should first discuss that night."

Kalissa smiled warmly at her. "Natalie, you don't need to rehatch your meeting with Bellatrix – Albus has already given me a thorough description."

Relief filled Natalie at the thought of not having to recreate that encounter. "You have the same theory about the link she formed between the two of us?"

"The link that the two of you formed," corrected Kalissa, placing her hand on Natalie's shoulder. "But yes, I believe that not only did Bellatrix consciously want for you to see some of her thoughts and memories, but she subconsciously desired for you to feel her emotions. However, I am not sure if Albus told you, but for the link to be so strong, then you must have –"

"Also wanted her to see my mind," finished Natalie morosely. "Professor Dumbledore did not explicitly point out that detail, but it was implied."

"You feel ashamed and angry at yourself," Kalissa stated, watching Natalie intently.

Natalie crossed her arms against her chest. She knew Kalissa was too perceptive and determined to let Natalie avoid her feelings about her mother. Yet, she trusted Kalissa more than anybody else. And Kalissa understood her better than anybody. As unpleasant as talking about her mother seemed, she needed to pour out her emotions.

Natalie sighed, galvanizing herself. "I don't want to you to feel hurt, Kalissa, but you are correct. As stupid and horrible as it sounds, I wanted her to feel some sort of positive emotion for me. I let her into my mind and probably subconsciously, helped to strengthen the connection."

Kalissa pulled her into a fierce hug. "Oh Natalie, you don't have to act so strong. I don't feel at all offended; anybody would want their mother to show some semblance of care. There's absolutely no need to be angry at yourself."

"Thanks, Kalissa," breathed Natalie, letting herself become suffused in the warm, cinnamon scent of the woman who was her mother in all ways except one.

"What did you see?" asked Kalissa softly, pulling her head back to stare at Natalie.

Natalie smiled. Kalissa's gentle ease unraveled the tension her mother's memory created. Many ideas, thoughts and phrases spun themselves around her mind, ready to tumble out of her mouth.

"It was horribly cruel," said Natalie, finally allowing the memory of those thoughts and emotions come to the forefront of her mind. "I think the Dark Magic has really contorted and twisted her sense of reality – she has a disgusting devotion to Voldemort. Every thought or memory ends in him –"

"Including those about you," noted Kalissa, the sadness apparent in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Natalie."

Natalie's eyes were starting to become slightly wet. "Yes, she seemed to only think of me as some sort of object to please him," said Natalie, her voice quivering. "N-not as her d-daughter. I know I should have expected it, but it hurt Kalissa."

Kalissa brought Natalie's head to her chest. "Natalie, there's no way you could not have been hurt. She is the woman who willingly gave birth to you, as shocking as that might seem now. She had every opportunity to stop her pregnancy and I'm certain she may have feared your identity while she was pregnant, but went on. And for that reason, I still feel she did have a bit of humanity in her, and I think that's why you also believe she still has that humanity. But Voldemort changes people into the detached, ruthless killer he is – Dark Magic corrupts and taints the soul, causing irreparable damage. Of all the Death Eaters, she is the one who I think he has imprinted his personality upon the most. And the change is never temporary. Whatever positive emotion she may have had for you or even your father is lost in, as you noted, her loyalty and devotion to Voldemort."

"I understand that now," said Natalie quietly. "But still, I think there's a part of me that wants her to act like a mother."

"That's completely understandable," said Kalissa. "As long as you realize that the warmth you expect likely will never come. Bellatrix's only love now is Voldemort."

Natalie swallowed. A frantic longing for her mother's affection again rose within her. And like a cool blade hidden within the cloak of the longing, pure devastation cut into her. She stiffened, pushing away Kalissa. Her head bowed down, the disappointment making a thousand cuts into her insides. As the hurt dulled and reduced to a stinging pain, scorching fury mounted within her. She could not help but despise herself for being unable to detach herself from her mother and truly and genuinely acknowledge that blood only connected them.

"Natalie, stop that," said Kalissa firmly, grabbing Natalie's shoulders. She lifted Natalie's chin so that their faces were level. "I'm sorry for my words, but they are true. Bellatrix doesn't view you as her daughter."

"I know," Natalie said in frustration. The devastation, shame and self deprecating fury quickly retreated. A lingering tension only remained; the tension she often associated with her mother when she was trying to repress the more severe emotions.

Kalissa's gaze hardened. "I know it's difficult for you to accept the fact that you have a mother who will never love you, but it's the truth."

"I saw how she thinks," said Natalie, once again uprooting that memory from the layers of thoughts covering it in her mind. "I know that I should not expect anything from her, but I still do. I'm trying, Kalissa, to get myself to realize that I cannot let her hurt me this way. It's taking time and it's very difficult." She closed her eyes, cursing her identity. How different would her life be had Kalissa given birth to her?

"I'm sorry Natalie," Kalissa whispered, wrapping her arms around Natalie in a tight hug. "You don't deserve any of this mess. But as long as you keep fighting her, you're the one in control."

Natalie let her arms encircle Kalissa. She tried not to suffocate the older woman, but could not stop the desperate urge to remain protected within Kalissa' soft, loving embrace, away from her crazed mother, the insidious man she loved and even the boy who could not stop holding her in bitter contempt.

After a few moments of being locked in this embrace, both eventually separated from one another. Natalie did not realize that she had started crying and even Kalissa's eyes were glistening.

"So now, moving on," said Kalissa with a bright smile. "Tell me about this social trouble you're having at school."

"Oh yes, that," replied Natalie glumly, a sad emptiness entering her. "Hasn't Minerva told you?"

"Natalie, you know how I hate procrastination," Kalissa chided. "Minerva has not told me, though she's said you've been having some troubles. I've done my best not to let my imagination get the best of me, but seeing you tonight, I realize these are not trivial things bothering you."

Natalie breathed in exasperation. Kalissa would continue to interrogate her until she started providing clearer answers. "Ok. But I promise that you'll be shocked."

Kalissa laughed, the effervescent, sparkling melody that Natalie sorely missed. "My girl, I've seen enough things in this world to not be deterred by a little surprise."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "This is not a little surprise. Ok, so remember how you continually told me to try to talk about Bellatrix being my mother."

"Yes," said Kalissa cautiously.

"Well after seeing her at the cottage, I realized you were right. My fears and insecurities were eroding at my confidence and sense of security. And even more, I realized that I could not keep this a secret for so long. Since I was becoming very close with Harry, I decided to confess to him. After I told him, I also decided to tell another close friend, Hermione Granger."

Kalissa's body went rigid. "You told them about Bellatrix?" whispered Kalissa in a fearful tone barely audible to Natalie. A blank, vapid expression had weaved itself onto her face. The penetrating realization that accompanied Natalie's comment seemed to have inveigled Kalissa's usual bright eagerness.

The rising panic within Natalie quickly amplified into a thunderous wave. She had never seen such a vivid emptiness in Kalissa. "No, no, Kalissa. Both of them are trustworthy and haven't said anything. I don't know if I made a really stupid mistake, given Harry's reaction and the fact that I think at the time, I really wanted some sort of protection. And I'm sorry that I never told you about it. I was just so desperate after seeing her."

A calm, resolved expression formed itself on Kalissa's features, immediately quelling the anxiety within Natalie. Kalissa closed her eyes, inhaling steadily for a few moments before fixing her eyes again on Natalie. "Ok. So neither Harry or, er, Hermione have told anyone?"

"No," answered Natalie nervously.

"They're trustworthy, like you said. I am happy that you decided to talk about her, even though you didn't ask me for advice. For that, I'm slightly disappointed in you. However, I think it was a good decision. I'm still trying to appreciate the magnitude of the decision."

Natalie looked at Kalissa with a newfound ebullience. "You really think it was a good decision?"

Kalissa examined her closely. "Well yes. Like I've always said, no one is strong enough to contain and suppress a secret like that forever. It eats at you; it forces confession. And you found somebody that you could trust. It was a good practical and emotional decision."

Kalissa's praise infused Natalie with an all pervasive warmth. "Thanks. Yeah, I knew I needed to release the secret."

"How did the two of them react?"

Natalie supposed that she must be wondering about why Natalie looked so 'downtrodden'. "Hermione took it very well. She and I are much closer now, because of it, I think."

"And Harry?"

Natalie turned her eyes away. "Not very good at all."

Natalie felt Kalissa wrap her arms her. "What happened?" whispered Kalissa in Natalie's ear.

"Well, he and I had a big fight. He was pretty angry at mostly how indifferent I seemed to Bellatrix and the fact that I lied to him. We haven't talked properly for about a month now. But Hermione and I have talked about him a lot. She seems to think, and I agree, that he can't acknowledge that there is no definite barrier between good and evil in the Wizarding World."

Natalie could sense Kalissa's eyes narrow behind her. "Well, he should realize that he's a selfish, thick-headed fool, first of all."

Natalie laughed. "That's what I told him, just in a slightly angrier voice."

Kalissa smiled. "He'll come around, I'm sure. From what Albus told me, he's a very understanding and tolerant young man, much like his mother. It's a shocking revelation. You do realize that, don't you?"

Natalie nodded, letting herself slide out of Kalissa's hold. "It better be soon because my patience is wavering. I mean, he's not the one who has a murderous nut for a mother."

"He has Voldemort chasing him," pointed Kalissa coyly. "You're not the only who has a lunatic after you."

"You know what I was saying," said Natalie irritably. As she thought about Voldemort trying to reach Harry, a question popped into her mind. "Kalissa, how much do you know about Bellatrix searching for me? Did you know how she determined I was her daughter?"

Kalissa clasped her hands. "What did Albus tell you?"

"He told me that her behavior, since we came back to England, has been rather unnatural and sporadic. I think he suspects she was trying to find out whether I had any relation to her and I suppose she did," answered Natalie, looking at Kalissa intently.

Kalissa ran her hand across her forehead. Natalie noticed the creased lines and scrunched eyebrows, a definite sign that Kalissa was rapidly assessing all of the possibilities and the information she had gathered from the Order. "I believe you're right."

"What is she doing now? What did she do?" asked Natalie.

"I do not know as much as Albus about her actions-

"But you know something, don't you?" said Natalie impatiently. "Kalissa, you have to be open with me about her."

"I am not trying to hide anything from you," said Kalissa defensively. "Let me answer your questions and if you have more, then ask. You are correct in what you said- her erratic behavior over the last 7 months or so does indicate she was searching for something. As for how she knew you to be her daughter, I know from my contacts at Durmstrang that she has approached a few of the people in Bulgaria associated with the Death Eaters, asking about you. I do not think they would have been very informative as I told nobody in Durmstrang about your identity. Your identity is also completely hidden from your father's family though most of them, at least the most direct, are dead. So, that leads me to believe that having seen photographs of you, likely obtained from those Voldemort supporters in Bulgaria, she has seen the resemblance to your father. And additionally, the Death Eaters assigned to spy on me and track my movements during the last war could tell her that there is little proof of me ever being pregnant with a child. Most of those Death Eater spies are dead, but there may have been one or two who Albus and I never uncovered. The information from these Death Eaters would obviously form the most concrete and reliable basis for her to make a conclusion."

"Still, you easily could have conceived me with my father," Natalie stated. "There's no proof that did not happen, especially since you lived in the same area as him."

Kalissa sighed. "Bellatrix's instincts are very strong and she has always been one to rely more on those instincts than pure reason. I do believe that because she left you to die in the fire, she knows you may have not died. Hearing about me having a daughter around the same age of her child would definitely alert her. Then seeing your similarities to your father and maybe hearing of the unlikelihood of my pregnancy would have cemented your identity, at least in her mind- a woman as fanatical and crazed as her does not need much rational to feel correct."

"It was inevitable then, wasn't it?" said Natalie quietly. "Because she didn't see me die, once she escaped from Azkhaban, she would want to know whether I survived."

Kalissa stared at her for a moment before speaking. "Yes, as much as I tried to keep you hidden, she would have come searching."

The silence grew between them. As it tautened and twisted, Natalie perceived the distinctly familiar feeling that a dark and menacing entity was slowly streaming through and lodging itself irreversibly in their lives.

Finally, Kalissa spoke. "I'm very sorry, Natalie about all of the trouble she has caused you – no one deserves that. But she won't come anywhere near you. There are too many people around us who will block her and remember you have me. And I don't think I'm that bad of a last resort."

Natalie smiled grimly. It was the exact type of analytical, but sensitive response that she had desired from Kalissa. They had finally acknowledged the inevitability of reality.

"We'll just have to be strong, Kalissa, won't we? Like you always said."

Kalissa laughed, grabbing Natalie into a fierce hug. "Of course. Did you ever think I would give in?"

"No, I did not," answered Natalie with a small smile. She then remembered her next question. "What is she doing now?"

Unexpectedly, Kalissa gave her a bright smile. "Albus tells me that Voldemort is starting to become very unhappy with her careless behavior- I believe he also knows about your identity and I hardly imagine he is very pleased. As twisted as he is, he is smart enough to realize that her obsession with you will only encourage even more reckless behavior. Consequently, Albus has informed me that he has been clamping down on her movements, making sure she follows his specific orders and stays within the Death Eater populated homes. As a result, she has not come anywhere near Hogsmeade or Hogwarts."

"That's relieving to hear," noted Natalie, not at all liking the idea of her mother entering Hogwarts where so many innocent people could be hurt.

"It is," agreed Kalissa, clapping her hands exuberantly. "Why don't we move onto some lighter topics? I think we've got through all the heavy stuff pretty well."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at her. "'Heavy' is bit of an understatement. I think 'life changing' is more appropriate."

"But life goes on even if it does change."

"How's the new house?"

Kalissa grinned at her. "That's how I like it. Quite good actually."

They continued talking in a much more amicable and lighthearted manner. Natalie missed these interactions. She cherished the comfort and calmness of their conversations; the needling fear of isolation dissipated, at least temporarily.

After a very long time of conversing and jesting, someone knocked on the door.

Kalissa checked her watch. "Oh my, it is late. I think that is Albus. He'll open the door – he knows the spell."

The door opened to show Minerva and Dumbledore. Both walked in, Dumbledore with his usual beaming face and Minerva with a slightly worried smile.

Kalissa stood up, opening her arms and embracing each of them energetically. "Albus, you do need to tell me what's wrong with your hand. And by the way, your brother seemed a bit cranky when I entered. Minerva, stop worrying for heaven's sake. Do you say any Death Eaters crashing against my door?"

Dumbledore waved his hand. "Aberforth is always like that. How are you doing, Kalissa?"

"Well. I love the new place. Much more homely and at least I can talk to some members of the Order. You do know how I love to talk."

Dumbledore noticed Natalie, his smile becoming even brighter. "Natalie, my dear, what a pleasure! How has the new year been to you?"

Natalie grinned at him. "Nice to see you, too, Professor. Everything's been going well."

Minerva frowned at her. "Natalie, I know it's a Saturday night, but it's getting late and before anything gets suspicious –"

"Oh Minerva, relax! I haven't seen her for 4 weeks and I'm sure none of the girls in her dormitories are attached to Death Eaters," exclaimed Kalissa, waving her hands dismissively at Minerva.

Dumbledore shifted his head to face Minerva. "I don't think one evening will be overly dangerous. Anyway, I need to talk to Natalie about something."

Natalie stared at him, very surprised. "What is it, Professor?" Both Minerva and Kalissa were also looking at Dumbledore curiously.

Dumbledore smiled at her. "I believe that after you came back from, er, the attack, you and Professor Snape had a rather awkward confrontation."

"Oh yeah," said Natalie, perplexed as to why Snape would tell Dumbledore about such a private incident.

"What happened, Natalie?" asked Kalissa sharply.

Dumbledore laughed. "Oh, no Kalissa, no need to get defensive. From what Severus told me, it was a minor spat."

Natalie locked eyes with Kalissa. Since Dumbledore knew already, there seemed to be no harm in informing Kalissa "After the attack, I stayed for a few hours in the dungeons under his company- he was the one who took me away. He dropped a photograph on the floor and when I picked up the picture, I saw that it was a picture of him and Lily Evans as best friends."

Minerva stared at her in fascination. "How did he react? Severus isn't the type of person to take an accident like that lightly."

Natalie sighed. "He was quite angry and told me to leave the classroom. However, about a week later, he called me to his office and calmly told me about him and Lily – how they were friends and grew up in the same neighbourhood as children. I don't think he is angry at me for what happened, now – he's still not one of my favourite teachers."

Natalie glanced at Dumbledore in understanding. "I suppose you told him to clarify things with me," said Natalie glumly.

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. "Well yes, I advised him to be honest with you. But the rest of it was entirely his decision."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. It was disconcerting that Snape required some ushering from Dumbledore to treat her with respect, but his independent decision to be honest with her still pleased her.

Kalissa frowned at her. "Why didn't you tell me, Natalie?"

"Snape –"

"Professor Snape, Natalie," corrected Minerva.

Natalie blushed. "Well yes, Professor Snape told me not to tell anyone. It was a very private thing I learned about him and I wanted to show him some respect."

Kalissa nodded. "I do remember now. They were friends in school – I didn't know they were from the same area but I suppose that's the only way a Slytherin and a Gryffindor could be friends. They sat together in my class and I saw them constantly studying together in the library."

"Both were excellent students. Top of my class," remarked Minerva.

Kalissa smiled at Minerva. "She never did take to Potter until their seventh year."

Minerva nodded. "Strange how things work out, isn't it? Severus did seem to have some sort of romantic infatuation with her."

Dumbledore shook his head. "It wasn't just an infatuation. He cared deeply for her."

Natalie glanced at Dumbledore quizzically. He must know much more about Snape's feelings for Lily if Snape trusted Dumbledore to tell him about Natalie seeing the picture.

Suddenly, another question entered Natalie's head, something that she had inferred from Snape's comments to her. "Er, she and Professor Snape stopped becoming at friends at some point, didn't they? I mean for her to be married to James –"

Kalissa raised her voice to answer the question. "Yes, Natalie. I'm not sure what happened, but I can hazard a guess. Severus was part of a group that all went to become Death Eaters and I suppose that Lily, being a muggle-born, eventually wanted to have no contact with him. But anyway, they stopped sitting together around fifth or sixth year."

Natalie felt a surge of compassion for Snape. She could not grapple the guilt and self deprecation that must have coursed through him, knowing that his choices had severed his relations with his closest friend.

Minerva swiveled her head towards Natalie. "Natalie, you haven't told Potter or Granger about Severus?"

Natalie shook her head. "Not at all. I tried to respect his wishes as best I could."

Dumbledore winked at her. "That type of courtesy is sorely lacking at Hogwarts. Sometimes, the only thing faster than a leaking secret at the school is Harry's Firebolt."

All of them laughed. Kalissa turned to Dumbledore. "So, Albus, how are things with the Order?"

Minerva stared pointedly at Natalie. Kalissa rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Minerva, I'm just asking about how the Order is. Albus is not going to divulge his secret plan to kill Voldemort and I don't think Natalie will be running towards Death Eaters to tell them what she heard."

Minerva sighed. "Very well then, but I'd like to remind you Kalissa that we don't allow any other 16 year olds to listen into the affairs of the Order."

Kalissa flicked her hand at Minerva's reproach. "Albus, how is the Order coming along?"

Dumbledore sat down and straightened himself before choosing his answer. "Better than I expected. We are making small steps. Remus says that more werewolves are coming to his way of thinking, Bill Weasley is getting stronger support from the goblins and despite the panic that the Daily Prophet seems to take pleasure in spreading, we have been able to prevent many more killings and injuries, especially for the Muggles. Of course, sadly, some are inevitable. But in comparison to last time, the Order is much more prepared, so Voldemort's rise has not been as relentless."

"Well, last time none of us expected him to be as strong as he was. But I agree, Albus – it doesn't look like he has a complete stranglehold on the wizarding world," stated Kalissa thoughtfully.

"It's still very dangerous, Kalissa. Hagrid was telling me the other day that Knockturn Alley is full of Death Eaters and some of the owners on Diagon Alley are trying to move off because of all of the Deatth Eaters roaming around," countered Minerva.

Kalissa nodded. "That's expected, Minerva. He's accomplished one of his major goals which is to spread fear through all of the homes and families. But he knows that now, there are far more people willing to fight him. The penetration of that fear has its limits."

As the other two paused to ponder Kalissa's statement, Natalie took the silence to ask Dumbledore a question that had come to her when Kalissa implied that he had a secret plan to kill Voldemort. "Er, Professor Dumbledore, Harry's told me about his lessons with you. He said that you essentially show him Voldemort's background and past. Sorry, if I'm being a bit too inquisitive, but I know more about Voldemort than the typical person, so I was wondering about what actual weakness do you see in him?"

Kalissa looked at her proudly while Minerva looked slightly alarmed. Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "My, my, she has your insight, Kalissa. Yes, Natalie, that's a very important question. I believe Harry may have already told you and I've repeatedly told Kalissa and Minerva this, but Voldemort's greatest weakness is his inability to summon any love for another human being."

"But how does that help Harry?" blurted Natalie.

Minerva cleared her throat. "Natalie, you can't ask –"

Dumbledore held his hand to stop Minerva. "No, Minerva, it's something that we must understand to defeat him."

"Natalie, you recall that Harry survived that night as a baby when Voldemort's Killing curse rebounded upon him?"

"Yes."

"The reason the Killing Curse could not operate properly is that before Voldemort focused his attention upon Harry, he gave his mother the choice to leave Harry – he would let her live while he killed Harry. Naturally, Lily refused to give up her son so Voldemort killed her. Her sacrifice for Harry placed a very powerful magical protection upon him – it's extremely ancient magic that I believe Voldemort forgot about. Consequently, Voldemort's Killing Curse could not penetrate that protection and reflected off the shield as you may call it."

Natalie narrowed her eyes in concentration at Dumbledore. "So Professor, you think, that Harry can use this protection, if cast in this way, to kill Voldemort?"

Dumbledore smiled at her. "That is the general idea, but first, Harry needs to learn that it is his ability to love that makes him superior to Voldemort."

Natalie raised her hand. "Wait, but does that mean that Harry has to face Voldemort? Is he truly the Chosen One?"

This time, Kalissa spoke. "Natalie, don't listen to what the Daily Prophet says. It's Harry's choice as to whether he fulfills that prophecy."

"But because Voldemort killed his parents, Harry will invariably seek out Voldemort. He could not live without avenging his parents' deaths," said Dumbledore calmly. Minerva nodded sadly.

Dumbledore turned his head to face Natalie. "Natalie, I'm sorry my dear, but it is late and I have to talk to Kalissa about more private matters regarding the Order. There is still time for you to ask one more question if you are inclined- I believe with my busy schedule this year, I have not had the time to talk with you as frequently in the summer."

His invitation took her by surprise. She thought that he would be more reluctant to answer more Order related questions, but she remembered the one curiosity plaguing her mind since the Christmas attack.

"Actually, there is," said Natalie excitedly. "Have you determined how Voldemort found our location on Christmas?"

Dumbledore smiled at her. "Ah, an excellent question."

"I have to say Natalie, I was expecting you to ask that question the moment you stepped into the room," Kalissa commented wryly.

"Albus, this is a very secretive Order matter," Minerva protested. "We do not even tell some members-

"Natalie deserves to know, Minerva," Kalissa interjected, earning a glare from Minerva. "She was there that night with us when they came."

"I agree with Kalissa," stated Dumbledore, winking at Natalie. Minerva glared at the smirk on Kalissa's face before crossing her arms and looking at Dumbledore to continue.

"The explanation is not as grand as you may hope," Dumbledore began. "In fact, the exposure of Kalissa's location was more due to bad luck and a lack of acute judgment from our part than any type of strategic planning by Voldemort. I do not know if Kalissa told you, but Natalie, when we were deciding upon the location to use, we consulted an old list of magical homes that the Auror department employed for witness protection during the first war. The current list, I'm afraid, has fallen into Voldemort's hands, likely due to the increasingly number of Imperiused Aurors in the Ministry. But the old list we used was developed by the Auror department under Barty Crouch's reign- in spite of his ruthless tactics, when he was head of the Department, he ensured those magical locations were never revealed to Voldemort's Death Eaters."

"And we picked an unused location from the list," Kalissa added. "So for all intents and purposes, I was convinced that it would be impossible for him to find me but we overlooked a very important recent detail that may have invalidated the list."

Dumbledore nodded, exchanging a wry smile with Kalissa. "I am certain Harry has told you about his fourth year and the man ultimately responsible for Voldemort's rebirth: Barty Crouch Jr. When we interrogated him after Harry valiantly fought Voldemort in the graveyard, he revealed to us that he had been secretly living with his father for the previous 15 years, albeit under the Imperius curse. However, he could fight off the Imperius curse and I know from experience that Barty Crouch Sr, as paranoid as he could be, kept very important information about Ministry and Auror matters within his house. It would not be a stretch for him to keep the list locked within his house. I imagine young Barty, under his Master's orders, managed to pry the list from his father along with other important information from the last war. And of course, Voldemort now has all this intelligence."

"Voldemort still had to realize that we may have taken advantage of the list," said Kalissa, shaking her head in frustration. "I'm certain that he assigned a group of his Death Eaters to check those locations and of all the locations on the list, the house I lived in would have been the only one with magical wards set. None of the other homes were used by the Ministry and Order. Albus and I foolishly overlooked the role of Barty Crouch Jr and it almost cost you, Minerva and I our lives."

"I am very sorry, Natalie and Minerva," said Dumbledore gravely.

"We are alive, aren't we?" said Natalie as cheerfully as we could. "And like you said, it was such a small detail to notice. You had every reason to believe he would never have gotten his hands on the list."

"Natalie has a legitimate point," noted Minerva with an encouraging nod at Kalissa and Dumbledore.

"It does not heed us to dwell on past mistakes," said Dumbledore solemly. "I hope that my answer satisfies you Natalie. Now, I do need to talk to Kalissa and Minerva about more private Order matters that I'm afraid I cannot discuss freely with you, my dear. But, you can stay the night with Kalissa. Minerva, I trust you do not object?"

Minerva looked like she was ready to say something but the firm, assertive note in Dumbledore's voice quelled her. "No, it's fine. Aberforth said that the room next door is empty. I think you should go there, Natalie while we talk."

Dumbledore beamed at Minerva. "An excellent idea. Natalie, if you would please excuse us," beckoned Dumbledore to Natalie.

Kalissa nodded to her. She reluctantly stood up, walked through the door and into the room adjacent to the broom closet, excited and restless about what she had learned.


	20. A Change of Heart

Chapter 20- A Change of Heart

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the last chapter! And once again, thanks to my sister for grinding through this chapter.

As for where we are in the story, we're not yet at the halfway point- from what I've been writing, the story looks like it will be over 200 000 words.

"Er, Natalie?"

Natalie immediately stopped walking. She had no difficulty in recognizing the hesitant, yet determined tone that constantly caused her stomach to churn uncomfortably. However, after four and a half weeks of fighting, she had come to severely doubt the sincerity of the tone.

Still, she slowly turned around to face him. "Listen, Natalie, I need to talk you," said Harry, his voice faltering.

"About what?" asked Natalie scathingly.

Harry breathed. "I'm very sorry about what I've done to you. It wasn't right at all."

"Well you should be," she said harshly, causing Harry to stumble backwards anxiously. Natalie sighed and added in a calmer tone, "Come on, let's go to that empty classroom. I don't want Parvati or Lavender sneaking around one of the corners."

Harry nodded. She led him into a classroom further along the corridor. She locked the door and cast a silencing charm on the walls. Seeing the dark patches under his eyes and the excessively disheveled state of his robes, even for Harry, Natalie could not help but feel a pang of stinging guilt.

"Well, please explain," commanded Natalie, a bit too abruptly.

Harry rocked nervously on his feet. He managed to straighten his slumped shoulders and gazed squarely into her eyes. "Er, Natalie, I'm sorry about all those cruel things I said about you. I know you're not at all like your mother and I never truly held you accountable for what she has done."

Natalie suppressed a seemingly overwhelming wave of relief. She would not let him come into her favour so easily. "And is that all you have to say?"

Harry twisted his lips into a weak smile. "Of course not. Thank you for trusting me to tell me about Bellatrix. I really do appreciate the honesty even though I was angry you hid your identity for so long."

"What did you expect me to do, Harry?" said Natalie sharply. "It's not something I tell a person I've just met. After those first few months, you became the closest friend I've had besides Kalissa and I thought I could trust you with that secret."

Harry raised his hands, his expression frantic. "I was an absolute idiot for feeling that you'd somehow lied to me. You had every reason not to share your identity with anyone – if I were in that position, I probably would have kept the secret for longer. At the time, I was just so stubborn – that's the best word I suppose."

Natalie nodded, still not completely satisfied. "Stubborn's a bit of an understatement, isn't it? Do you remember what I said about your 'stubbornness'?"

Harry's face darkened. Natalie instantly feared that her demanding attitude had triggered a bout of anger within him. "Natalie, you were right in a way – everytime I think of Bellatrix, I remember that horrible leering face after Sirius died. Other than Voldemort, she is the one person I hate the most. I know you have nothing in common with her, but when you told me she was your mother –"

"All that anger spilled out," stated Natalie, the scowl on her face becoming smaller.

"Yes," replied Harry, looking relieved. "That image of Bellatrix in the Department of Mysteries, I don't know to how say it, but it filled my head. Then all my hatred and anger at her came with the image. And also, I was furious that you had not told me about her for so long and my temper exploded right there."

"I'm sorry for all she's done," said Natalie softly. "But Harry, I'm not her."

"I know, Natalie – you're the farthest thing from that monster," said Harry earnestly, stepping towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Natalie nodded, a surge of trepidation overcoming her. She could not stand to be with Harry if he could only associate her with Bellatrix. "Those feelings you have for her are completely justified, but Harry, you can't think about the person who killed Sirius and tortured Neville's parents everytime you see me."

"I don't," said Harry, smiling. "I've been trying to figure things out and –"

"Yes?" interrupted Natalie, her chest bursting in relief.

Harry chuckled. "Will you let me finish? When we weren't talking for the past few weeks, well, I don't want to sound dramatic, but I really missed you."

"As did I," replied Natalie, her throat becoming very dry. Feeling embarrassed, she attempted to avert her eyes from Harry, but he gently lifted her chin so that those enrapturing green orbs bore straight into her eyes.

"There's no need to be ashamed," whispered Harry, his warm breath washing over her face. "I knew you were completely different from your mother, but I couldn't get rid of that image of her. But then, I realized how much I hated not being able to speak to you every day and it just hit me – I still feel the same way about you regardless of who your mother is."

"It took you long enough," muttered Natalie, unable to repress the smile that crept onto her features.

"I am a bit thick, aren't I?" asked Harry, his lips curling upwards into an amused smile.

Natalie punched him playfully in the chest. "Yes you are, Harry James Potter." She could not contain her pure joy at Harry's revelation. With his declaration of his feelings, the suffocating despair and sense of futility that swallowed her over the past few weeks disintegrated. As she buried her face in his chest, she could almost physically feel all of the burdensome tension that had shrouded her face lift.

"We are alright, aren't we?" asked Harry nervously, pushing Natalie from his chest to stare at her.

Natalie sighed at him in exasperation. "You really are thick, aren't you? Harry, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you still feel the same way about me after hearing who my mother is."

"You were scared that I wouldn't get over it," said Harry quietly. By the solemn, grim tone in his voice, Natalie could tell that it was a statement, not a question.

"Yes I was," breathed Natalie. "You were the first person I told and you also just happened to be one of the people she hurt the most."

"I wouldn't leave you just because you're her daughter," said Harry fiercely.

Natalie laughed at the ferocious determination in Harry's eyes. "It's my own stupid fears, unfortunately. Now I know that you won't leave me, but Harry, you were really my first friend – all those people at Durmstrang were more of acquaintances and classmates than anything else. I won't pretend that deciding to tell you was probably the scariest decision I've made."

Harry squeezed her shoulders. "Thanks again. And I'm a complete moron for treating you like that."

"It's in the past, Harry," said Natalie, lifting a hand to his face. "We've talked about it and it's time to move on."

"I'm just glad we can have a decent conversation without snapping at each other," said Harry, his eyes sparkling. "I'm not the best with words, but being with you is refreshing. You seem to understand me – different than Ron and Hermione do. I don't know how you do it, but you seem to get what I'm thinking and what my mood is."

Natalie's eyes widened. For Harry, who was very reserved about his own emotions, this confession was extremely rare. Another electrifying pulse of pleasure surged through her body.

She finally noticed how close they were. For the first time in a month, she could revel in Harry's complete, intimate presence; the fresh, intoxicating depths of those green eyes, the salty, full bodied earthly scent of grass and dirt, the way his hair scattered itself in complete disarray across his forehead and the familiar shy, kindness spread across his face, the one feature drawing Natalie to him. Seeing his eyes meet her gaze with a hungry desire, she licked her lips, eying Harry's slightly open mouth. She slowly leaned towards him, her lips meeting his. Harry quickly pulled her against him, kissing her urgently. She opened her mouth to let in his roving tongue, reveling in the soothing, gentle way his tongue caressed her mouth.

Natalie found herself once again immersed in that pure, unending bliss. It was only the two of them, their eyes closed in enjoyment. They let their mouths hungrily satisfy one other, their hands desperately exploring each other's bodies. The rest of the world seemed so far away and unimportant. Nothing could break their kiss; not her mother's cruel, contemptuous sneer nor the brutal finality of Harry's prophecy and not even the looming, menacing specter of Lord Voldemort.

Natalie did not know for how long they remained in that pose, attempting to somehow compensate for the brooding sadness of the past few weeks. When they finally pulled apart, Harry's t-shirt and jeans looked extremely ruffled along with his hair which seemed to more resemble a very shaggy dog than a 16 year old boy. Looking at herself, Natalie noticed that her jumper somehow had fallen to the floor, revealing the sleeveless top below from which the straps were drooping.

Harry smiled at her as he straightened out his clothing. "That was definitely interesting."

Natalie shook her head, smiling as she picked up the straps of her top. She summoned her jumper to her, pulling it over her. With a tingle of pleasure, she noticed the disappointment on Harry's face when she covered herself.

"We did get a bit carried away," said Natalie sheepishly.

"I certainly did not mind," said Harry impishly.

"Neither did I," acknowledged Natalie, her cheeks very flushed.

"Well, it just proves my earlier point about you understanding me," said Harry, a smirk appearing on his face. "I did want you to kiss me very much."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him. "I hope that wasn't the way you intended your statement to be interpreted, but I do suppose it would make sense that I could understand all your moods and insecurities."

"How so?" asked Harry, confusedly.

Natalie winked at him. "It takes a person with a troubled past to understand another with just as bad a past."

Harry laughed hysterically. "That's a good way of summarizing us."

A solemn expression appeared on Harry's face as he examined her with concerned eyes.

"Harry, everything fine?" asked Natalie, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," replied Harry, startled out of his gaze. "Actually, I was thinking about your father – I'm very sorry about him."

Natalie nodded, surprised that Harry's thoughts had strayed to him. "He didn't deserve to die that way," said Natalie, thinking about the bright, innocent face in all those pictures Kalissa showed her. "For his death, I probably have the same type of feelings towards my mother as you do about Sirius."

"She will pay one day for everyone she's hurt," said Harry determinedly.

"I do hope so," agreed Natalie. Despite the assertiveness in her tone, the memory of her mother confronting her at Christmas continued to send ripples of fear and shock through her.

"Do you have any pictures of your father?" asked Harry, running a hand through his hair. "Like the photo albums I have with my parents."

Natalie smiled at him. "Kalissa managed to collect as many photos and stories as she could about him. From what I've heard and seen, he seemed like a very nice person."

"No family then?" said Harry curiously.

Natalie sighed. "Apparently, he did not have much family before he met my mother. But obviously, after their affair, she made it her goal to wipe out the rest of the family."

"Oh," exclaimed Harry, an appalled expression on his face.

"I really do hate her for what she did to my father," said Natalie quietly. She realized that she was not telling the full truth, but did not want to broach the subject of her feelings regarding her mother. Yet, Harry apologized to her. He asked about her father, felt genuine compassion for her. Did Harry not at least deserve some openness? "However, I would be lying if I told you I completely hate her. She is –"

"Your mother after all," noted Harry with a sad smile. "A part of you enjoys that connection I imagine."

His comment startled Natalie. She had not expected him to appreciate her desire for Bellatrix's affection, but then she realized with a sharp sense of clarity that Harry knew better than anyone else about the yearning for a lost parent.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Harry asked, looking anxiously at her surprised expression.

"Oh, no of course not," said Natalie, regaining her composure. "You're absolutely correct."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Remember I too know about wanting to get to know parents."

Natalie nodded. His words triggered a surge of freedom within her. She never considered Harry's ability to understand her better than anyone else because as she said, he also had a troubled past. Confessions were weaving themselves in her mind, ready to flow ceaselessly out of her mouth.

"Yes, even though I know she is a horrible person who has scarred me permanently, I still want her to treat me as her daughter. It's wrong, but she willingly gave birth to me when she easily could have suspected who my father was so I guess that's the reason I hope there's a shred of humanity in her. When I saw her that Christmas night, she, er, wanted me to see her mind, feel her emotions and because I wanted her to know me, to strengthen that mother – daughter connection, I allowed for our minds to be linked through legilimency."

Natalie paused, composing herself so she could describe exactly what happened that night. Harry had taken a seat on one of the desks. He nodded to her, a warm, gentle smile on his face.

"Thank you Harry. What I saw was quite appalling. The Dark Magic has obviously affected her – there's a noticeable contortion and distortion to her thoughts and memories. You can see and feel a definite darkness, a terrible, corrupt evil within her." Natalie swallowed, readying herself for the more emotional traumatizing part. "But everything in her mind, every single strand emotion, thought or memory is immersed in a singular, unbreakable devotion to Voldemort. All she felt or thought funnels into his image – it's a very sick and distorted type of love, as you could call it."

Harry nodded. "I noticed her loyalty to him last year – there's no doubt she would sacrifice herself for him in a heartbeat." He frowned at her. "What did she think of you?" asked Harry tentatively, though Natalie sensed he already knew the answer.

"I was a compilation of thoughts, memories and emotions that also funneled into Voldemort. The way she spoke to me afterwards makes me think that she wants to present me as proof to Voldemort, to affirm her love and devotion to him. I imagine my birth along with her affair with my father may have cast a noticeable shadow of doubt on her loyalty."

"That's terrible," said Harry softly. "It must have hurt you quite badly to realize how she actually sees you."

The familiar combination of shame and anger arose within Natalie, yet Harry's acceptance warded off the dread and loneliness. In his presence, her self deprecating fury was not as scorching, her shame not the same stinging, full bodied devastation.

"What I saw did and still does hurt me," Natalie acknowledged. "I know I should realize that the slightest hint of warmth I expect from her will never come, but a part of me still cherishes that connection. I don't like myself for it, but it's there."

Harry looked at her with a contemplative expression. "I see where you're coming from. I want to see my parents again, let them hold me and take care of me. It's probably the same with you, except possibly stronger because you know what parental love feels like from Kalissa."

"But Natalie," Harry continued as he walked over to her. He held her hands in his. "You can't let your memory of that Christmas night tear you apart. She does not deserve you as her daughter. Kalissa does and that's what you need to remember. She may have felt something for you long ago, but it's lost now. All the anger, shame you feel is because of her actions, not because of anything you've done."

"I know, Harry," Natalie whispered, squeezing his hands. "I need some time – I have all the proof in front of me that we are only mother and daughter in one way, yet I have yet to fully grasp that idea. I am trying as hard as I can."

"We're all here for you," said Harry fiercely. "She's not going to get to you."

Natalie smiled at him. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you. You're more of a help than I could ever say."

"A part of me really does hate her," added Natalie quietly. "She terrifies me, but I hope next time I see her I'll be able to stare her in the eye and tell her I want to be the one who steps on her dead body."

Harry pulled her into a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "There's no doubt in my mind that you will."

"Did I tell you how much I missed you?" whispered Natalie, her voice muffled by Harry's chest.

Harry chuckled. "I think our recent snogging session was enough for me to realize."

They pulled apart with glowing expressions on their face and walked out of the classroom to supper.

"I think we might be very late," commented Harry with a frown on his face.

"What? You want us to make the grand entrance, announcing to the entire school that we've stopped fighting."

"I'm sure Parvati and Lavender will be more than a competent source," responded Harry with a smile.

Natalie suddenly noticed Hermione headed in their direction with a very curious expression on his face. "Oh here's the person I think we should talk to first. I hope that she isn't thinking that we had some major fight."

Harry grinned. Hermione rushed towards them. When she saw the smile on Harry's face, Hermione narrowed her eyes at both of them.

"What?" asked Harry mischievously.

Hermione glared at him. "I suppose you two have stopped the stupid quibbling. Good. It should have happened a lot earlier."

"How did you come to that conclusion so quickly?" asked Natalie curiously.

Hermione grinned at both of them. "Both of you are practically beaming and not to mention that your hands are much closer than is 'normal' for two people banging heads at one another."

Both Harry and Natalie exchanged knowing smiles. "We resolved our little 'quibble' as you put it. Harry, well, he accepts who I am and what happened is in the past."

Hermione nodded her head, a look of pleasure and relief beginning to unfold on her face. "Good. Thank goodness, some common sense was injected into the two of you."

"Thanks for the support Hermione," said Harry sarcastically. "But I am starving. Have you eaten, Hermione?"

"No, I was looking for you two. But let's go for supper."

The three of them ate supper, then deciding to head to the library to do Snape's extremely annoying and vigorous essay. For the first time in months, Natalie felt wonderfully satisfied and relieved; supper and even writing Snape's essay had been very boisterous and enthusiastic affairs. After about an hour of writing, Hermione left them to go to sleep in the Common room, earning puzzled glances from both Natalie and Harry. Though Natalie suspected that Hermione merely wanted to let her and Harry enjoy their reunion alone.

Natalie noticed gratefully that only a few students still lingered in the library; all of them casting the two of them very inquistive glances. She perceived that the radiant smiles on both of their faces had come as a great shock.

"How's Hermione coping with Ron?" asked Harry, scratching out a phrase on his essay.

Natalie pushed her parchment away and placed her quill upon the table. She ran her hand through her hair. "She's trying to appear indifferent. But you can tell when she sees them kissing – I find it absolutely disgusting. He's hurting her badly. What do you think?"

Harry nodded as he set his quill upon the table and turned towards Natalie. "When I've talked to her, she was trying to hide how much Ron and Lavender have bothered her, but I could tell that she's going through a lot. But I just hope that maybe our, er, coming together will –"

"Rejuvenate her," completed Natalie.

Harry smiled. "Yeah. I don't know if that's too optimistic."

"It's not at all a case of inflated hope. I mean, our fight was pretty serious and if we can come through it, then there's no doubt that she and Ron can finally admit their feelings to one another. So, hopefully it does inspire her. But then there's Ron who sometimes, I just wanted to hex into oblivion."

"He's not that bad," said Harry defensively.

Natalie shook her head. "Oh, wait a minute, I forgot he was your best friend." She paused. "Ok, maybe I was a bit overdramatic. He's not cruel, but what he's doing to Hermione is just so selfish and thick-headed."

Harry grinned at her. "I bet you said the same things about me."

Natalie locked her eyes with him. "You came through though so I was definitely wrong."

Harry intertwined his hands with Natalie under their table, his thumb rubbing her hand. Natalie relished the powerful jolt of electricity along her spine his touch triggered.

"I like that," whispered Natalie, her eyes glazed.

Harry shifted his chair closer to her so that their faces were much closer. He looked around, realizing that the library had now emptied. To Natalie's delight, both of them were out of the view of Madam Pince. "Not the most romantic place, we chose, right?"

Natalie laughed softly. "What? Did you want us to be holding hands the Astronomy Tower, watching a 'beautiful night sky'?"

"I just think it's a bit unusual that we find a room full of books to be intimate."

"Harry, it's the most private place in the castle. Who studies at 10'o clock on a Saturday evening?"

"I think we both know the answer," replied Harry cheekily.

Natalie sighed. "Well, anyway, this is the one room where we would not be interrupted. That's why Hermione chose to go to 'sleep' so early."

"Smart girl, Hermione is."

"Oh, trust me, she is a very romantic girl. Much more than Lavender."

Harry nudged her playfully. "You just had to give Lavender a knock. Well at least we have more discretion than she and Ron when it comes to physical contact."

"Physical contact? For heaven's sake, just say snogging. But, no offense to Ron, he still looks like he's trying to eat her face."

"Well, you can't blame him – he gets the all you can eat buffet with her."

Natalie glared at him. "And that somehow makes her much better than Hermione."

Harry quickly shook his head, looking very apologetic. "Of course not. I don't find, er, Lavender's showy nature at all appealing – in fact, it rather revolts me."

"It better. Because I absolutely hate it when girls try to show off big boobs or a large bosom."

"I agree. Anyway, you don't need to show off."

Natalie blushed, instantly reprimanding herself for being so easily flustered. "Harry, be realistic. In comparison to Lavender, I'm just one meal."

Harry leaned in towards Natalie, causing Natalie's stomach to churn furiously. "Trust, you're far more than that," said Harry in a husky, low tone that Natalie found undeniably endearing.

Their lips met. Natalie wrapped her hands around Harry's waist as he stroked her hair. Their mouths tentatively moved against one another as their bodies found the most comfortable position; both sensed that they would be in this stance for quite a while. After a few moments of this awkward moving, Harry's tongue licked Natalie's lips. She immediately allowed entry, deepening the kiss. They both became more passionate and urgent. Natalie fiercely pushed Harry onto the desk, pressing herself onto him. In response, he turned them over so that he was on top of her, still maintaining contact with her lips. 

His lips then started to trace their way down his neck, causing Natalie to moan in maddening joy.

"Thanks," gasped Natalie.

She could feel Harry smile against her neck. As he began to unbutton her robes, she quickly unbuttoned his shirt, pressing her body straight against her chest. They continued to explore one another with increasing vigor and passion until Harry pulled back with a sheepish look on his face.

"Er, Natalie. Don't think we should get so carried away, especially in the, er, library," muttered Harry, his eyes fixated on the floor and his face becoming blaring red.

Natalie almost laughed, but she recognized the serious note to his voice and sharply scolded herself for becoming so wild. "Yeah, you're right Harry. Sorry, I should have controlled myself."

Harry laughed. "I don't think you were the one biting your neck."

Natalie blushed. "Well I enjoyed it."

Harry shrugged his shoulders playfully. "I do try to please."

Natalie laughed. "Harry, we should really get back to the Common room. It's pretty late and I'm surprised Madam Pince didn't, er, interrupt us."

They both quickly dressed, straightening their clothes and darted out of the library, earning a very suspicious and disapproving glare from Madame Pince.

As they headed to the Common Room, Harry said gleefully, "I don't think Madame Pince knew anyone was in the library. For the first time, she had closed eyes."

"Good thing, too. Can you imagine the look on her face if she saw us?"

Harry nodded, his grin becoming wider. "Mighty shock for her. We were playing it very risky though, weren't we?"

Natalie returned the cheeky smile. "Daredevils, we are. You didn't know that?"

"Of course not," said Harry.

"Oh my, the Fat Lady is also suspicious," remarked Natalie as they approached the portrait.

Harry frowned. "Even she knew about our fight. My goodness, this school is a real gossip center, isn't it?"

"Well, let's just hope there isn't a crowd inside waiting for us."

As they said the password and entered the Common Room, ignoring the intent glances of the Fat Lady, the two did not encounter a crowd but rather, Ginny and Dean intertwined in a very tight embrace. A familiar and unpleasant sensation flooded Natalie; she was gloomily reminded of a previous argument with Ginny in the library when she had come across Dean and her in a similar position.

They quickly pulled apart, upon hearing the portrait door open.

"Hey, Harry. Natalie. Good night?" said Dean, hastily rushing a hand through his hair.

"I see you two were having a pretty good night," commented Harry dryly.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the two of them. "Where were you two out of the Common Room so late on a Saturday night?"

"Didn't know you were becoming like Hermione," said Harry with a slight smirk on his face. Natalie did not share Harry's comical mood; she realized with a sullen pang that Ginny's temper would not quelled with a few quips.

Ginny crossed her arms. "I'm serious, Harry. What were you two doing?"

Dean sighed at Ginny. "Come on, Ginny. Let them be. There's no need to get aggressive."

"Don't tell me what to do, Dean," snapped Ginny. The blazing fury on her face caused Dean to retreat slightly for which Natalie did not at all blame him.

Harry sighed. "We were just studying in the library. Snape assigned us a huge essay."

Dean nodded. "Bloody pain if you ask me." Harry grinned at him.

Ginny shook her head. "You were writing an essay at 10'o clock on a Saturday night? Anyway, what were you doing with _her_?"

Natalie recognized the loathsome contempt in her voice. "My name's Natalie in case you haven't noticed for the past five months."

"Oh trust me, I know what your name is," said Ginny menacingly.

Harry raised his hands. "Ginny, stop this nonsense. Natalie and I were talking about our, er, fight over the past few weeks. We wanted to get some things cleared."

Natalie looked triumphantly at Ginny. Ginny's cold, malicious expression transformed into one of bewildered surprise. "So you two have stopped fighting?" said Ginny, her expression quickly returning to its blazing glare.

"Er, yeah," said Harry, smiling at Natalie.

Ginny blinked her eyes. Natalie could feel all of Ginny's anger being channeled towards her. "Why?" demanded Ginny.

Dean, noticing her intense interest in her and Harry's relationship, crossed his arms. "Ginny, why are you so eager to know what's going on with them?"

Ginny turned to face Dean, slightly taken aback. "Of course, for Harry's well being. You're a Muggleborn, Dean, so you don't know the reputation of this girl's family."

Natalie's rage flared. "How many times have I told you? My mother has never worked for Voldemort's side. Can't you get it into your thick head?"

Ginny's eyes returned to Natalie. "Oh really? What about the others? Why haven't we heard about the rest of your family?"

"We don't talk to them," snapped Natalie. Kalissa had long ago been expurgated from her family though Kalissa had informed her that, sadly, the general impression in England was that she still remained in contact with them.

"'Don't talk to them'. From what I've heard, that would be very difficult. They're like the typical Slytherins – a bunch of overprotective, aggressive, Muggle-hating and You know –"

"Ginny, that's enough. You cannot say all those bad things about Natalie. I trust her and her mother and moreover, Dumbledore and Order have trusted them for a long time."

Natalie smiled in gratitude at Harry. Ginny clenched her fists. "Harry, you don't know what you're saying –"

"Ginny, don't say things like that. Come on, let's go," interjected Dean irritably.

Ginny cast him an annoyed glance. "Dean, you can go on but I have to make sure Harry knows who his _girlfriend_ is."

Natalie stepped forward in utter outrage. "How can you say that? I really care for Harry as he does for me, like I've said repeatedly before. Don't make blind, stupid accusations just because Harry never returned your schoolgirl crush."

Ginny's face contorted viciously. She reached into her robes. Harry stepped in front of her, holding her back. "Stop it Ginny and Natalie, you stop it too. This is disgusting, both of you. I don't care if you two hate each other, but you're on the same side so come to sort of agreement."

Natalie tried to calm herself. Harry was undoubtedly correct. She should have never inflamed Ginny's nerves with that comment; moreover, a surprised and hurt expression had crept onto Dean's features. Too many times had she let Ginny's jealousy, manifested in her fiery rage and forthright accusations spark Natalie's own temper.

Natalie breathed heavily, barely able to contain her anger at Ginny. "Harry you're right. Ginny, I'm sorry for what I said. But you have to apologize to me."

Ginny, still shaking, managed to pull herself from Harry's grip, take a few breaths and reduce her vibrating body to a mere tremble. "Yes, Harry. Sorry."

She then quickly turned on her foot, heading for the girl's dormitories. Dean reached out to her. "Ginny, we need to talk."

She paused momentarily before continuing to walk to the staircase and then up the stairs to her dormitory. Dean shook his head in frustration. "Good night, both of you," mumbled Dean, his head down as he left to go to his dormitory. Natalie sensed that her explicit reference to Ginny's infatuation with Harry had struck a poignant note with Dean, changing his perception of his girlfriend. A powerful wave of guilt flooded into Natalie.

She turned to Harry. "Listen, Harry, I knew about Ginny's crush. I'm sorry I said it and I'll try to keep things civil between the two of us. But now, I just want to go to sleep. It's been an eventful day."

Harry nodded at her. "It wasn't a smart thing to say, but yeah it has been a tiring day."

"In more than one way," jested Natalie.

Harry grinned at her. After a quick peck on his cheek, Natalie followed Ginny to the girl's dormitories. A mixture of elation, exhilaration and wearisome worry accompanied Natalie to her sleep.

A/N: Hopefully, Ginny was not too over the top in this chapter, but I have to say, writing the Natalie-Ginny fights is pretty enjoyable.


	21. An Eventful Birthday

Chapter 21- An Eventful Birthday

Natalie awoke groggily on a bitterly cold Friday morning. As she stretched and lay in her bed, her mind wandered over the past few weeks since she and Harry had come back together. All of their long conversations, brief touches and very passionate physical encounters blended into one continuous stream of languid bliss. However, she was overwhelmingly aware that she could not let herself sink into this period of satisfaction, always reminding herself with a sharp bout of worry that she and Kalissa still were not assured a return to a safe and normal life.

She brushed her teeth, took a long and hot shower and changed into her clothes. When she came to the dormitory to fill her bag with the proper books for the day, Natalie realized with a startle that Hermione's bed was empty. Both Parvati and Lavender lay fast asleep as it still was only a quarter past seven; Natalie usually was the first to awake on any morning of the week.

Natalie decided to have an early breakfast and then begin her Arithmancy essay. As she walked to the dining hall, she pandered over Hermione's recent behavior. The brown haired girl had adopted an enthusiastic attitude with Harry and her, maintaining her veil of indifference towards the slightly weakening relationship between Ron and Lavender. Though many times, Natalie detected a gleeful glint in Hermione's eyes at the sight of Lavender searching desperately for Ron who was obviously starting to become tired of her. Natalie perceived that inevitably, the relationship, which arose out of Ron's jealousy, would end for his need to save his friendship with Hermione. Natalie's only concern remained that Hermione would not let Ron slide gracefully into her favour. Over the past few days, Hermione had made several scathing and rather venomous remarks to Ron, causing Natalie to suspect that the girl had decided to enact a cruel revenge on her red haired best friend.

At breakfast, she did see Hermione reading their Ancient Runes textbook while quietly sipping a cup of coffee.

Upon seeing Natalie approach the table, Hermione looked up with a tired smile on her face. "How's the lovebird today?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"

Hermione scrunched her eyes, pretending to concentrate. "I actually do not recall such an instance. Please remind me as to why you do not like that term."

Natalie sat down across from Hermione, grinning at her. "Well first of all, Harry and I do not resemble the short lived and feverish romantic couple who are blindly infatuated with one another. The term, lovebird, typically characterizes such a naïve and inherently unstable relationship."

"Something deeper, then, ooh, I see."

Natalie clicked her tongue in irritation. "Please don't do your Parvati and Lavender interpretation. It's not even that good. But yeah, we care about each other a lot; we are not just merely lovebirds."

Hermione smiled at her. "Ahhh. I see. Well, anyway, I'm very happy for both of you."

Natalie returned the genuine smile. "Thanks. But Hermione, this is an unusually early morning for you."

Hermione returned to reading her textbook. "So I can't wake up early if I want to?"

"You should be a politician, Hermione, because you really know how to evade a question. It's just –"

"What?" asked Hermione briskly.

Natalie struggled for the proper words. "Well, er, I'll just be straightforward. I'm worried about you. I thought you would be slightly happier that Ron and Lavender's relationship is starting to deteriorate, but instead, you have seemed to augment your aggression towards him."

Hermione quickly lifted her face to meet Natalie's eyes. "Why do you have the tendency to be so perceptive about the smallest and most trivial changes in my behavior?"

Natalie poured herself coffee and buttered toast. "Because I'm your friend," said Natalie stiffly.

Hermione grinned cheekily at her. "So you're going to exploit that sentimental phrase."

"I'm serious, Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "Ok, Natalie. As much as I hate to admit it, you are right, but do we have to talk about such a topic at this time of day?"

"I think this is good as any time. Don't tell me that the brilliant Hermione Granger can't think properly in the mornings."

Hermione stuck her tongue at her. "That wasn't even that funny."

"Hermione, let's talk."

Hermione returned her eyes to her textbook. She took a deep breath. "Ok," muttered Hermione. "But let me drink my coffee and compose myself before we go in."

Natalie nodded. While Hermione drank her coffee, Natalie ate her toast and began to slowly sip her coffee.

Once Hermione had drained her cup, she again lifted her eyes to meet Natalie's eyes. "Ok, whether you can see it or not, my attitude has become slightly more optimistic after I've seen how, er, Ron and Lavender are not going as strong. But Natalie, you have to realize that he treated me very badly. I implicitly expressed my desire to take him as a date to Slughorn's party and then shortly after, he starts acting extremely cold and distant with me. And, as an almost deliberate attempt to crush my feelings, he goes and plants his face on that _girl_ in the middle of the Common Room and over the past few months, all I've seen is their snogging. It hurts a lot. What I'm saying Natalie is that you can't expect me to welcome back if he tries to be friendly with me. He has to realize how much he has hurt me and the only way he'll realize is if I be more assertive and aggressive with him."

Natalie gazed into Hermione's defiant eyes, considering her words. "I see where you're coming from but don't you think, er, continuing to bash heads with Ron is counterproductive from your perspective."

"How?"

"It's painstakingly simple. It clearly bothers you when you two fight and this fight has been especially brutal. So if you continue to shrug him off, you'll just be hurting yourself."

Hermione slapped her hand on the table. "Come on Natalie. Lift yourself out of that honeymoon shell. Nothing's that simple."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Ok, so what does Ron need to learn then?"

"He needs to realize how cruel and destructive his stubbornness is and readily letting us be friends will do nothing to teach him a lesson."

Natalie raised her hands in mock defense. "Ok, do what you want and take heed of my advice if you want."

Hermione nodded. "Thanks." She then closed her eyes, rubbing her hand through her face. "I did wake up far too early. I don't know how you do it everyday."

"My brain's always on the alert," bragged Natalie.

"Alert for Harry if you ask me," muttered Hermione as she dropped her face onto the table.

"Hey! That was uncalled for. Will you stop with the jokes about Harry?"

Hermione raised her head to smile triumphantly at Natalie. "Only if you decide not to talk about Ron."

Natalie sighed. "Fine. Shall we go to the library and begin on Flitwick's essay?"

"Yeah, we should," replied Hermione. "Though I do feel 10 minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt me so much."

"That's what Charms is for."

Hermione awoke from her sleepy reverie. "Of course Charms is not for sleeping. It is a thoroughly fascinating and interesting subject with a dynamic teacher in Professor Flitwick," declared Hermione, glaring accusingly at Natalie.

Natalie laughed. "Relax, Hermione. I know Flitwick's your second love, but there's no need to defend him in front of anyone except me. Anyway, I've seen your eyes become droopy in his class."

"Never."

They exited the dining hall to find an adamant Lavender interrogating a twitchy and nervous looking Ron.

"Where were you last night, Won-Won?" squealed Lavender.

"Er, well, er, I was in the library. I had some Potions homework and, er, well Harry wanted to go over some Quiddtich strategies," stumbled Ron. Natalie repressed the urge to laugh at his complete lack of tact.

"You went over Quidditch strategies in the library?"

Natalie could see Ron's mind begin to register his mistake and judging by the smirk on Hermione's face, she also noticed Ron's dumbfounded struggle for an excuse.

"Well, er, yeah, you know how serious Harry is about Quidditch."

At that moment, Natalie and Hermione passed the couple. Hermione coughed rather loudly, causing Natalie to stare at her curiously. Lavender immediately jerked her body around. Upon noticing Hermione, she glared coldly at her.

"What do you want?" asked Lavender dispassionately.

Seeing the hostility on Lavender's face, Natalie wanted nothing more than to hex her out of the castle.

Hermione did not flinch. "Harry is very serious about Quidditch so you should listen to his excuse," responded Hermione coolly.

Ron smiled gratefully at Hermione. Hermione returned the smile with a venomous glare.

Lavender's inimical aura instantly boiled into one of radiating anger. "No one asked for your comment. Anyway, I don't think he very much cares about what you say."

Natalie grabbed Hermione's arm which had immediately gone into her robes. Lavender, sensing the prodigious spellwork of the brown haired girl, retreated slightly.

Ron cleared his throat. "Lavender, stop that. You have no business insulting her like that and I do care about what she says," said Ron icily to Lavender before he strode away from them into the dining hall.

Natalie smiled cheekily at an appalled Lavender who before shooting Hermione another loathsome look, fled after her boyfriend.

"That was rather interesting," commented a bemused Natalie.

Hermione, still trembling, shook her head. "It just shows that she's a true bitch."

Natalie chuckled quietly. "I think we already knew that. But Ron did defend you."

Hermione pulled herself from Natalie's grip. "He was just trying to be noble and valiant to make up for his stupidity." She began to walk towards the library.

Natalie caught up with her. "Can't you see the positive side to things for once?"

"It's better to see the truth rather than be deluded by some romantic aspiration."

Natalie shook her head. "Honestly, Hermione, you'll see that an injection of optimism will do a lot of good."

"Ok, ok, ok. I'll try to be more like you. But let's just leave relationships and emotional turmoil alone for a while, can't we?"

Natalie grinned. "I was being a bit too interfering?"

"Almost like me. I know how annoyed you feel sometimes."

"I'm your friend," said Natalie defensively.

Hermione raised her hands as they entered the library. "I know and I do value your friendship. But you're sometimes way too perceptive."

After they had started on their essays and then decided to head to Arithmancy, Natalie saw an anxious Ron enter the library. To Natalie's surprise, he cautiously approached them.

Natalie glanced sideways at Hermione. Not noticing Ron, she was bending over behind the table, organizing her books in her bag.

"Look up," whispered Natalie.

"What?" said Hermione, straightening herself. "Oh."

Natalie gathered that she had become aware of their oncoming visitor.

As Ron reached their table, he shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking nervously on his feet. "Er, hi."

Natalie gave him her brightest smile. "Hello, Ron. Do you want something?"

Ron smiled weakly at her, his eyes flicking momentarily over her. He seemed to be deliberately staring into a blind space between the two of them. Glancing quickly at Hermione whose scowling face immersed in her Arithmancy book, Ron nodded slowly.  
>"Er, yes. Er, Hermione, thanks for, er, helping me there with Lavender."<p>

Natalie looked hopefully at Hermione. Her head remained bowed down, showing no sign that she even knew he was fidgeting away in front of them.

"Hermione?" asked Natalie hesitantly.

Hermione lifted her head to glance pointedly at Natalie. "Oh sorry, Natalie. Did you say something? I think we should go to Charms."

Natalie could see Ron's ears start to become very red. If Ginny's temper was shared among the Weasley siblings, then Natalie did not want to find herself in the middle of a very nasty storm.

"Er, Hermione, I think Ron was trying to speak to you," said Natalie quietly.

Hermione turned her head dramatically to see Ron. "Oh. I had no idea he was here. What does he want?"

"Hermione, don't act like you don't give a damn. At least show some respect to me," snapped Ron.

Hermione snorted derisively. "Show some respect? I think it's the other way around."

"Listen, come on guys, we're not six year olds," said Natalie, looking pleadingly at both of the.

"Natalie, only one of us is a six year old," hissed Hermione scathingly.

"What do you mean it's the other way around?" asked Ron, his voice raising.

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows in mock concentration. "Oh wait, was I the one who completely rejected you after you asked me to Slughorn's party?"

"You never asked me. Anyway, you looked like you were having a good time with McLaggen."

"I never asked you? How thickheaded are you Ron? Sometimes, I wonder how you are able to weave together a sentence," exclaimed Hermione.

"Don't get into that stuff Hermione. I've tried to talk to you a lot of times, but you've just been your usual stubborn, superior self," said Ron furiously.

Hermione's eyebrows raised upwards, higher than Natalie thought possible. "My usual stubborn self? What other reservations do you have about me, Won-Won?"

"Oh let's see. You think you're so righteous and –"

"How dare you accuse me of being like that? You're the one who ruined our friendship by pasting your face onto that that _girl_," hissed Hermione, standing up and glaring venomously at the red haired Weasley.

"Hermione, sit down and Ron, calm down," said Natalie sternly.

Both paid no attention to her. "I could go on for weeks about your faults, Ronald. I'm surprised she has put up with you for so long," continued Hermione savagely.

"She obviously has more patience than you. No man would be able to put up with your nagging. Krum only liked you because half the time, he had no idea what you were saying," spat Ron, his face turning an extremely bright red.

Hermione stamped her foot violently onto the ground. "Speak for yourself, you bloody arse! You can't even kiss a girl properly and not to mention the pea sized brain. What a bloody waste of time you are for most girls!"

Ron clenched his fists, his eyes widening in brutal anger. As the expression on Hermione's face amplified into more intense and thicker fury, her eyes welled with tears.

"You two, get out of my library before you become any louder. Stop behaving like children," hissed an irate Madame Pince who had glided unnoticed to their table.

Hermione quickly swept from the room. Natalie shrugged apologetically at Ron who began to lift his bag and head out of the library.

The next morning at breakfast, Hermione looked at Natalie with a combination of bewilderment and frustration.

"What?" asked Natalie, quizzically.

"It's Ron's birthday," whispered Hermione, tracing her fingers on the table.

Natalie shook her head in irritation. "Go tell him then. It will save me from having to tolerate your restlessness for the entire day."

"I've told you repeatedly that he does not merit any sort of sympathy from me," snapped Hermione.

Hermione suddenly glanced confusedly over Natalie's head. "Don't look, but Ginny's heading in our direction very quickly."

Natalie sighed heavily. "Oh my, I don't want to engage myself in another argument with her."

Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't think it's that. She looks pretty scared."

A surprised Natalie swiveled her head to also notice Ginny. Hermione's description was a complete understatement. Ginny was rushing towards them, hastily navigating her way through the students while staring at Hermione with stricken fear. Natalie almost perceived that she had transformed into a different person. The brisk, daring aura had disappeared. Instead, the terror on her face constricted her movement into abbreviated, unnatural strides.

From the corner of her eyes, Natalie saw Hermione's eyes darken rapidly. Her face had become locked into one of appalling fear. Natalie could feel her stomach twisting unpleasantly and her eyes dilating; clearly, something was wrong and the person usually in the most danger would be Harry.

As Ginny met them, Hermione spoke with a very hesitant and concerned tone. "What's wrong, Ginny? Did, er, something happen to Ron or Harry?" Hermione's voice quivered on the last three words.

Ginny nodded, her hands trembling and her teeth mechanically clattering against one another. "It's Ron," whispered Ginny.

"What?" mouthed Hermione. Her hands were now shaking and her face had lost all emotion.

"He was poisoned by some mead he drank in Slughorn's office – Slughorn didn't know about it. We'll tell you what happened. He's still alive, but come to the Hospital wing."

Hermione nodded. Her body had begun to take a very visible and unsettling vibration. She glanced at Natalie who gave her a weak smile despite her own shock. They both stood up and then along with Ginny, rushed towards the hospital wing. When they reached the corridor, all three started to run frantically towards the wing.

Once they reached the ward, Natalie attempted to stay back in the corridor and let the other two see Ron. But Hermione urgently beckoned Natalie to follow them into the room and to Natalie's surprise, Ginny nodded as well. Natalie cautiously entered the room behind the other two.

"Oh Ron!" gasped Hermione, her eyes unnaturally dilated and her hands clasped over her mouth. Ginny's eyes had darkened considerably.

A hollow and nauseating wave of shock tumbled through Natalie at the sight of an unconscious, extremely pale and seemingly lifeless Ron. The clumsy determination and inflammatory aggression she had come to associate with the red haired boy appeared to have become entangled and drowned by an unseen but brutally sinister and wicked force. The only remnants of emotion were the slight flicker and trembling of his fingers.

As Hermione rushed to his bedside, Natalie managed to tear her eyes from the repulsive figure to notice Harry sitting next to his friend with a look of blank despair. She quickly stepped towards him, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. He lifted his head to see her, a slight smile cracking on his face.

"It's terrible. Much worse than Katie," croaked Harry.

"What happened?" whispered Natalie. Hermione had now begun to sniff rather loudly, her face contorted into sickened trepidation.

"I think Ron took one of Romilda Vane's love potions, so I took him to Slughorn to get him sorted out. Slughorn managed to take away the effects of the potion. As a, er, birthday drink, he offered us his mead. Ron drank it before either Slughorn or myself, and well the mead was poisoned. And Ron – well, you know."

Natalie shook her head in repulsive agitation. "On his birthday of all days."

Ginny cleared her throat, causing the other three to look towards her. "Er, McGonagall recommended that we take the day off. The twins will be here soon and so will Bill, Mum and Dad."

Natalie raised her hand. "I'll go to class and collect the school work for you guys. Ginny, what classes do you have today? I can go ask the teachers what you missed."

Hermione smiled gratefully at her and Harry nodded silently, still glancing sadly at his friend.

Ginny stared at Natalie in dumbfounded surprise. "Well, er, yeah, that would be convenient. Er, yeah, thanks. Are you sure?" mumbled Ginny, stumbling over her words.

"Yes," said Natalie, trying to sound as sincere as she could. She supposed the image of a vapid and emotionless Ron had aroused an impulsive surge of compassion for her red haired enemy.

"Well, thanks, er, Natalie. Oh yeah, I have Potions, Charms, Ancient Runes and Transfiguration."

Natalie nodded. Ginny turned quickly away to look at Ron with a flustered expression on her face.

After one last smile at both Harry and Hermione, Natalie headed to her morning classes. She was barely aware of the assortment of curious looks that were sent in her direction as she walked quickly through the corridors into Charms.

Much of her morning blended into the poignant and gruesome image of an unconscious Ron. Even though she tried to concentrate on her lectures, her mind inevitably wandered to the circumstances surrounding Ron's poisoning. The poison was intended for a murder and most likely, the victim was not supposed to be Ron Weasley. Like the curse inflicted upon Katie Bell, the perpetrator of this attack was undoubtedly very crude, but blindly dangerous as he or she clearly had no qualm about causing a murder. That very thought evoked the familiar stinging sensation that spoke of inevitable fatality to Natalie's scared conscience.

Even more frightening was the tugging despair accompanying the very plausible possibility that the poison was meant for Harry. The person who gave Slughorn the mead likely had heard of his constant flattery of Harry; it would not be too far fetched to conclude that mead would be poured for Harry as well. Natalie shook her head. She was allowing herself to become engulfed by these recent events and submerge herself in augmented fear.

She returned to the hospital wing at lunch to see Ron. She was slightly taken aback when upon entering the corridor outside of his room, she encountered a large group of red haired people. She tried to find Harry, but could not discern his spectacles through the mass of red hair.

"Oy, who are you?" asked a stocky red haired man who looked barely older than her. He had a suspicious look on his face. An identical looking man, who Natalie supposed to be his twin, scrutinized Natalie carefully.

"Er, I'm Natalie – one of Ron, Harry and Hermione's friends."

Both of them paused to register her claim. Then they both immediately smiled at her. "Pleasure to meet you. Fred and George," recited the two in unison. Natalie then remembered Harry and Hermione telling her about Ron's very comical twin brothers who owned the rapidly growing joke shop in Diagon Alley.

Before she set out to shake hands, one of them turned to the rest of the group. "Oy, Harry, where are you? Your girlfriend's here."

"What?" asked Harry's voice behind the mass of red haired heads that had suddenly turned to stare at her in fascination.

Natalie's face turned a full bodied red.

The other twin glanced at her in amusement. "Oh look, she's embarrassed to be your girlfriend, Potter. That's almost a Weasley blush there," he remarked cheerfully.

"Leave her alone, Fred," said another man with a long, red haired ponytail, pushing Fred out of the way. She noticed in amazement that this man, likely another elder brother, had dragon hide boots and his general appearance resembled a flashy, rebellious teenager.

He extended his hand out to her. "Hello, I gather that you're Natalie. I'm Bill – Ron's eldest brother."

Natalie slowly shook her head. "Oh, Bill. Right. You work at Gringotts, don't you?"

Bill beamed. "Well, of course. I see that Ron has been talking a bit too much about me."

"Here's your boyfriend. Give her a kiss for us, Harry," chided the other twin, who Natalie supposed was George.

Harry had appeared at Bill's side, his face burning. "Sorry about them. They're always like this," muttered Harry.

"Oy, Harry, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Fred and George, leave them alone," scolded an older woman with very long red hair and a familiar blazing glare on her face.

After shaking her head vehemently at the twins, the woman turned to gaze at Natalie.

Natalie smiled pleasantly at the older woman. "Hello, you must be Mrs. Weasley. I'm Natalie. Sorry about what happened to Ron."

The older woman nodded towards Natalie, a smile plastered on her face. "Yes, I've heard about you. Pleasure to meet you," said Mrs. Weasley evenly.

Natalie's smile faltered at the cool, uninviting tone in Mrs. Weasley's voice. Glancing into the woman's slightly narrowed, but intently piercing eyes, Natalie noticed a tense, but subtle air of disapproval radiating from the woman. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Harry frown at Mrs. Weasley, also taken aback by the sudden awkwardness between the two. To Natalie's relief, the others, conversing about Ron, had not noticed.

Natalie turned her gaze to Harry, hoping to change the subject. "How's Ron doing?"

"Better than before, but still unconscious," replied Harry grimly.

Natalie sighed. One of Harry's few flaws was his inability to provide a clear, detailed answer to simple questions.

The door to Ron's room opened. A slightly bald man bearing tiny fragments of the fiery Weasley hair stepped quietly into the room. "Four can go into the room."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, beckoning the man towards them. She walked quickly into Ron's room along with Ginny, Hermione and Harry. Before Harry left, he gave Natalie a tentative, but grateful smile. Natalie, however, felt relieved to be free of the woman's scrutinizing eyes, yet she could not pinpoint what exactly she had done to merit such a response from Ron's mother, who Harry had informed her as one of the warmest people he knew.

"Who is this?" asked the older man, staring pointedly at an again uncomfortable Natalie. She realized she was alone with four of the Weasleys without Harry as a buffer.

"Natalie Malkae. I do believe she is Harry's girlfriend," replied Fred cheekily.

The older man clapped her jovially on the back. "Finally, we meet. Arthur Weasley – the father of all of these boys and girl in the case of Ginny."

Natalie smiled at him, relieved that he did not share his wife's coldness for her. "Oh so, I supposed Harry told you about me when he went to your place at Christmas."

George shook his hand. "No, we figured it out. The bloke looked so happy that we thought You-Know-Who might have died for a moment. But then we realized he, like our brother, had finally discovered the prowess of a girl."

"But not any girl though, is she George?" said Fred, looking mischievously at George.

"Why of course not, my dear Frederick! It takes one hell of a woman to beat our little fiery monster, Ginevra, in a duel," replied George delightedly.

"Shut up you two. That's not something to be joke about," said Bill warily.

Natalie suddenly sighed in realization; she had almost forgotten about that incident and she remembered Minerva specifically saying that she would be writing to the Weasley's parents. Obviously, had, rather unfairly thought Natalie with a sharp of anger and disappointment, taken firmly to her daughter's side, simultaneously construing Natalie as a possible danger.

Natalie decided that it would be best to clarify and explain her view of the incident to Weasley's and hopefully appease any residual resentment. "I'm very sorry about what happened. I never meant to hurt Ginny. It was a really careless fight on both our parts. We both lost our tempers and unfortunately, my spell managed to hit Ginny."

Mr. Weasley smiled reassuredly at her. "We've already forgotten about that. Accidents happen with magic, especially when emotions run high."

"So how exactly did you meet Harry?" asked Fred, his face resting on his elbow in playful interest.

"Leave her alone, you two," reprimanded Bill.

"Just because you're getting married –"

"– does not allow you to not be interested in other romantic relationships."

"And when they include such a fanciable girl like this one, why shouldn't we be –"

"– curious," finished George.

Natalie laughed at the boisterous nature of the twins. She had never seen two people so enthusiastically connected.

"Listen, boys, I'm going to eat some lunch. Fred and George, please do not torment Natalie. Remember, your mother is within hearing distance," Mr. Weasley said before swiftly leaving the ward in slow, somber strides.

"Natalie, please tell us how you managed to fall for the Chosen One," pleaded George mockingly while Bill rolled his eyes.

Natalie laughed. "I think there are far more important things than my romantic life."

The other three looked grimly at the door. Bill chose the moment to speak. "It's sad for this to happen on his birthday. We knew that because we're so close to Harry and Dumbledore, that something this dangerous could happen."

"How is Ron?" questioned Natalie. She admired the steady maturity and calmness underlying Bill's words.

"Better than he was, which is not much to say," replied George without any sarcasm.

"Lucky that it wasn't worse," remarked Natalie, half-heartedly attempting to raise the abruptly dejected spirits of the three brothers.

"Thank God for Harry," whistled Fred.

"What? What did Harry do?" asked Natalie, sensing that Harry had not given her a very complete account of the poisoning.

Both twins smirked. "You didn't know? Well typical Harry, trying to be the modest hero for his girlfriend," said George, the previous sarcasm returning to his voice.

Natalie snapped her fingers in irritation. "You know, I'm starting to get annoyed with all this girlfriend rubbish. I like you guys but Hermione was right – you do know how to get on a person's nerves."

The twins raised their hands in identical feigned shock. "Oh my, we really have to talk to that Hermione –"

"And tell her to only reserve that mouth for our dear little brother. But Natalie, did you imply that you don't like to be called Harry's girlfriend?"

Before Natalie could defend herself, Bill glared at the twins. "They know what you mean Natalie. They're just being their usual idiotic selves."

Natalie smiled. "Thanks, but what did Harry do?"

"He saved the day. What else does Harry do?" replied Fred in mock bewilderment.

Natalie could not help but chuckle. "Boys really don't know how to give straightforward answers."

"Harry somehow pulled a bezoar from Slughorn's cupboard and gave Ron it before the poison became deadly. He truly did save Ron's life and we all are in debt to him," said Bill solemnly.

"Oh." Natalie could not summon any other response to the implicit meaning of these words. Like Katie Bell, the red haired boy in the room across from her would simply be dead without Harry's ability to summon dumbfounded luck and creative daring in these brutal situations.

"It was bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Fred and George together.

Natalie smiled sadly. "Harry will tell us it was all luck."

Bill nodded. "But others in that situation would have lost their nerve quickly. He just has –"

"An undeniable desire to beat death," stated Natalie proudly.

"Yeah," said Bill, his voice shaking slightly.

Ginny and her mother entered the hallway with wearisome, but visibly unsettled expressions on their faces. Harry followed with the same look of strained worry. And finally Hermione stepped into the hallway, still locked in a state of silent shock.

Mrs. Weasley wiped her very red eyes with a handkerchief. Bill, who had wrapped his hands around his mother, nodded to Natalie. "Natalie, you can visit Ron if you want."

Natalie smiled at Bill. "Thanks but I've already seen him and well, er –"

"Once is enough for your nerves," articulated Bill sympathetically.

"Well, then, I shall have lunch with your father. Remember – only four of you can go in there – no more," instructed Mrs. Weasley, a motherly sternness creeping into her words.

"Yes," piped Fred and George in unison.

"And both of you, please behave yourselves. This is a school and not some hooligan joke ship," ordered Mrs. Weasley, shooting a menacing glare at the twins who cringed slightly. Natalie suddenly realized where Ginny's temper originated.

After she walked away, Fred rolled his eyes. "Very highly she thinks of us," he muttered under his breath.

"Have you guys had lunch? I can stay here while you eat," offered Natalie.

"We had lunch just before you came. The house elves brought sandwiches. I think Mom and Dad just wanted some time to talk," answered Ginny with no trace of anger.

"Natalie, so what do you think about this entire mess?" asked Harry, turning towards Natalie.

"Don't worry, Natalie. Ginny and Harry have completely exhausted the topic of who is behind Ron's poisoning," commented Bill dryly.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders, wondering whether she should be honest with them. "Er, well, it seems very similar to Katie's attack. A very crude and almost blind plan that seemed to, er –"

"Get the wrong person," finished Harry grimly.

Natalie looked at Harry in alarm. "Well, er, yeah, I don't think Ron was the intended victim, but still, maybe the perpetrator wanted to send a scare into the school and so he or she just wanted to hurt somebody innocent."

"That's very probable," acknowledged Bill.

Hermione sniffed loudly, causing the others to jerk their heads to look at her. "Sorry, but I think we should realize that whoever gave the necklace to Katie and whoever gave the poison to Slughorn has definitely shown that they go at any lengths to get whatever he or she wants done. We should all be careful about anything unusual."

An appalled silence followed her statement. Natalie sensed that the others were starting to realize that with Voldemort's resurgence, they were all threatened to be engulfed by extremely sinister and insidious forces.

"But the question is really who, isn't it?" said Harry intently. Hermione frowned and with a sigh, Natalie recognized Harry's implicit suggestion.

"Well, yeah, seeing as we have nobody who would have done this," began Natalie, attempting to gather her thoughts. "But if you think about logically, you can rule out a student." Natalie detected al look of protest on Harry's face out of the corner of her eyes. "The Katie's necklace and Ron's poison are really dark and quite expensive objects – you'd have to find them in an underground, illegal shop. You obviously wouldn't get them in Hogsmeade and I doubt whoever sells these objects would sell them to a Hogwarts student. So like Hermione said, we know that this person is cruel, but his or her methods are rather crude and ill planned."

"We can eliminate any extremely murderous Death Eaters close to You know who since their means are more direct," stated Bill. His comment sent another shudder through the group.

Natalie nodded. "Then it's likely a relatively inexperienced Death Eater."

Harry shot her meaningful look. She rolled her eyes, knowing that Ron's poisoning would only strengthen his resolve to prove Malfoy's guilt.

Natalie decided to shift the conversation from the newfound fear that had disseminated through the corridor. "Harry, why did you and Ron go see Slughorn in the first place?"

"Yeah, Harry, why?" asked George.

Harry smirked. "You know the love potions that Romilda Vane was trying to give me?"

Natalie and Hermione rolled their eyes while Ginny clicked her fingers.

"Well, Ron accidentally took that love potion and so I took him to Slughorn to remove the effects."

Natalie saw from the corner of her eyes that devilish smiles had spread across the twins' faces. "Wait, Harry, there are girls who are buying _love potions_ in the hope that it will slip into your pumpkin juice?" asked Fred in amazement.

Harry shrugged. "It's only happening this year."

"Quite the celebrity we have here," quipped George.

Harry's face turned red. "Well it's your potions they're buying."

Fred whistled. "I wondered why our love potions were selling so fast. Harry, my my, I never thought of you as the type."

Harry raised his hands in exasperation as Fred and George snickered. "It's not like I enjoy girls ordering love potions for me to take."

Natalie gave a wry smile. "Don't you two get tired of taking the mickey out of everybody?"

George raised his eyes in bewilderment. "Oh Harry, your girlfriend defends you?"

Natalie blushed a fiery red. She noticed Ginny shifting uncomfortably besides her.

"Just leave her alone," said Bill in a tired fashion.

Natalie checked her watch and realized with a slight shock that Charms would begin in ten minutes.

She turned towards the rest and motioned to leave. "Hey, sorry guys, but I have to go to Charms – don't worry Hermione, I'll get your homework. It was nice meeting you guys, Fred, George and Bill. Well, talk to you later. Say bye to your mum and dad for me."

"Nice meeting you Natalie," said Bill pleasantly, nodding towards you.

Both twins pointed towards Harry.

"Aren't you going to give your boyfriend a good-bye kiss?"

"You won't see him for another 5 hours."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, you two are really crackpots. But I have to go. Bye." She waved at them and walked quickly away before Fred and George could make another cheeky remark.

She did briefly make eye contact with Harry. They both shared a slightly embarrassed but amused expression.


	22. A Nasty Fall

Chapter 22- A Nasty Fall

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the past two chapters! And once again, thanks to my sister for diligently wheedling out all the grammar errors in the last two chapters.

For those of you keeping track, the chapters are getting longer- they are now in 6000-7000 word range and will continue to get longer. I am going to spend a lot of time on the third term of Hogwarts as I feel this part of HBP was a crucial component of the series.

Disclaimer: Besides Natalie and Kalissa, I own nothing of the wizarding world which belongs solely to the genius of J.K. Rowling.

"Checkmate."

"Bloody hell. Why does that damn rook always catch me?" muttered Natalie, glaring furiously at the sinister delight on Ron's face.

Ron snickered. "I do believe it's the tactics of the person ordering that rook which are 'catching' you."

Natalie rolled her eyebrows in exasperation. "Oh, go stuff yourself Ron."

"That's two out of three and that means I have officially won our little series."

Natalie waved her finger in front of his face. "Oh no, you don't. I specifically said _best out of five."_

Ron raised his hands in incredulity. "First of all, please stop waving your finger at me. In case you haven't noticed, I am recovering from a rather traumatizing incident and I am sleeping in an infirmary bed so be careful with that finger. And second, we agreed after my win yesterday that today would be a best of three."

Hermione, who had been sitting beside Ron's bed, chuckled. "Natalie, you really need to calm yourself – I never knew you got so competitive over chess."

"The arrogant git I'm playing is making me so impatient," said Natalie defensively, not letting her glare waver from Ron.

Hermione smiled. "You shouldn't feel so bad Natalie. He is the best chess player in all of Hogwarts."

Ron's ears tinged in bright red, causing Hermione's face to turn a slight pinkish shade.

Natalie raised her hands in exaggerated confusion. "What's this? Not more than a week ago, you two were at each other's throats and now, you're saturating each other in praise."

A lion suddenly roared outside, immediately inciting Natalie to raise her wand towards the window.

Hermione waved her hand casually at the window, "Probably the lion's roar that some nut conjured for Gryffindor's match against Ravenclaw."

Ron's face scrunched in frustration. "I hope Pomfrey leaves the window open so I can at least hear the commentary," said Ron groggily.

"Harry said that McLaggen's doing a rotten job as keeper," commented Hermione, clearly trying to improve Ron's spirits.

Ron smiled at her. Natalie could not help but feel slightly shocked at the abrupt shift in relations between the two.

"I think Harry's having a pretty long training session in the morning to make sure McLaggen does a semi-decent job in the match," said Natalie, looking out the window.

"Got your good luck kiss with your boyfriend yet?" asked Ron deviously. Hermione laughed at the quip.

Natalie gritted her teeth. "In fact, I did and it was quite nice."

As Ron laughed heartily, Hermione turned to Natalie with a solemn expression. "What's wrong?" asked Natalie in surprise.

"Has Harry spoken to you about that Horcrux assignment involving Slughorn Dumbledore gave him?" questioned Hermione in a hushed voice.

Ron sighed. "Hermione, can we save this till later?"

Hermione impatiently snapped her fingers at Ron. Natalie resisted the urge to laugh. "No, we can't, Ron. I think whatever Slughorn's hiding has something very important to what Dumbledore's trying to show Harry and you know how Harry likes to procrastinate."

"I've talked to Harry about it – you were the first one to tell me, Hermione, as you remember since Harry and I, er, weren't talking when Dumbledore gave him that assignment. I haven't tried to find out too much about what Harry's doing since he's been pretty busy with Ron's poisoning and the Quidditch match," explained Natalie.

"You don't have to refer to me in the third person," said Ron sarcastically.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "I wasn't trying to needle you. I was just trying to point out that it's ok for Harry to not worry about Slughorn since he has had a lot to worry about, not the least of which is your poisoning."

Ron laughed. "Don't worry Natalie – I was just being funny. I agree with you though – no need to stress Harry when he still has a month or so to pull out the information from Slughorn."

Hermione shook her head stubbornly. "You know how Harry procrastinates. He'll delay this thing till the last minute. Dumbledore clearly sees this horcrux information as being very important."

"You worry too much Hermione," said Ron pointedly.

"I have to concur with that statement," added Natalie, grinning cheekily at Hermione.

Hermione raised her hands defensively. "Ok have it your way! But do either of you have any idea of what a Horcrux is?"

Ron shook his head. "You know I wouldn't bother to check."

Natalie chuckled at the irritated glare Hermione shot Ron. "No, Hermione, I haven't fond anything about Horcruxes in the library. I haven't looked in the Restricted section, but I don't think it's there. It seems to be some extremely Dark magic."

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "I've checked the Restricted section and there's nothing about Horcruxes."

Natalie contemplated the nature of Harry's assignment for Dumbledore. "I really don't think Dumbledore wants Harry to do any research on Horcruxes. It seems that he just wants Harry to, er, use his persuasive charm to coax the information out of Slughorn."

Hermione smiled. "That's Harry's strength – getting people to be able to trust and confide in him. I'm pretty certain that Slughorn's far too wary of Dumbledore to even consider talking about Horcruxes in his presence."

Natalie looked at Hermione intently. "I just hope Harry knows he just has to be himself for Slughorn."

"The feeling's shared," agreed Hermione.

Ron's eyes darted from Hermione to Natalie. "You know, you two really do know how to study something too closely," muttered Ron in disbelief.

"That's why we're best friends," commented Natalie with a knowing smile.

"And why we're girls," said Hermione waspishly.

Natalie noticed that Hermione's hand surreptitiously lay on Ron's leg. As his eyes swept over her hand, an amusing red tinge outlined his ears. She decided to leave the two of them as she had in their previous visits, so that they could enjoy a few moments without any judging presence.

"Er, sorry guys, but I forgot my scarf in our dormitory and you know how far the Gryffindor tower is from the Quidditch match. I'll go now to get it before the match starts," said Natalie, casting a significant glance in Hermione's direction. Her brown haired friend gave her a brief quizzical look before slowly smiling in appreciation. Ron absently nodded at her.

Unfortunately, as she closed the door on them, Lavender Brown almost walked straight into her.

"Oh, sorry Lavender," exclaimed a flustered Natalie,

"What are you doing here?" asked Lavender suspiciously.

"Visiting an ailing friend," responded Natalie briskly. However, she knew that Ron's girlfriend was relentless in her determination to see him. She did not want the ostensibly stubborn and exasperatingly overdramatic girl to interfere with the renewed friendship of Ron and Hermione.

"Is _she _with him?" hissed Lavender.

"Sorry, who?"

"You know who I mean," spat Lavender.

"Oh, Hermione? Well, she was today," said Natalie ambivalently.

"Is she?" repeated Lavender very loudly. Natalie feared that either Ron or Hermione may have heard her.

"Why does it matter to you? They're just friends," countered Natalie, hoping to distract the opposing girl for the moment.

Lavender gritted her teeth. "You and Harry do think the same way. You should know why it matters to me. You know how she reacted after he started going out with me – she clearly does not see him as a friend."

"I really do believe you overanalyze the situation," said Natalie pointedly.

"Don't give me that rubbish. Is she there with him?" asked Lavender harshly.

"He's been sleeping all the day. I don't think he'll be that interesting for you," stated Natalie sharply.

Lavender blinked her eyes. "What do you mean by _interesting?_"

A wave of relief rolled through Natalie, knowing that she had managed to distract the blonde haired Gryffindor. "You can decide that for yourself."

"You do know how to put off someone, Natalie," said Lavender menacingly.

As Natalie started to articulate a witty and ambiguous retort, Hermione opened the door.

"Oh _you_ are here," hissed Lavender venomously.

Hermione nodded at Lavender. "Hello Lavender. Like Natalie said, Ron's been sleeping for most of the day."

"Why should I believe you of all people?" snapped Lavender.

Natalie crossed her arms. "Hermione's not a liar, Lavender."

Hermione cast her an amused look. "Lavender, you can see for yourself."

Hermione opened the door further to reveal a loudly snoring Ron. At the sight of the seemingly dozed off boy, Lavender scowled. Ron's feigned act induced Natalie into a slight chuckle, but she quickly coughed to hide the laughter.

"What's so funny?" asked Lavender, glaring vehemently at her.

"Nothing. I just coughed," replied Natalie mystically.

Lavender raised her hands in dismay. "Why is he always sleeping when I come?"

"Maybe you should choose a better time to come," said Natalie acidly.

Lavender stomped her foot. "Watch your mouth," hissed Lavender furiously.

Hermione stepped between the two. "Come on, you two. We're not children," said Hermione sternly in a tone that would have pleased McGonagall.

Lavender stepped back, returning her fuming glare to Hermione. "Why were you in his room anyway if he was sleeping?"

Hermione sighed. "Natalie and I came in the morning to see him, but he was asleep. So before the match began, we came in to check if he had awoken. Unfortunately, he seems very tired. We were just about to leave before you came."

"Oh," said Lavender, a triumphant gleam appearing her eyes. "He doesn't awake for you."

"Sometimes," responded Hermione quietly, but Natalie could see that even Hermione was starting to become irritated with the girl's desperate need to reserve Ron for herself.

"So why don't you leave?"

Before Natalie could retort, Hermione pulled her by the shoulder. "Very well. But Lavender, you should really wonder why he's always asleep while you're there," commented Hermione slyly as she dragged Natalie and herself out of the infirmary. They could hear Lavender mumbling furiously to herself.

Once they left the infirmary, Natalie grinned at Hermione. "That was pretty brilliant, Hermione."

"I do say that had to be one of my finer moments," said her brown haired friend airily.

"How was your two seconds with Ron?" asked Natalie mischievously.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but Natalie could perceive by the small smile cracking on her face that Hermione had rather enjoyed the brief moment alone. "It went pretty well actually. He said that he liked it much better when I came than Lavender and told me to keep my hand on his leg – he said it was _reassuring_." Hermione's face flushed a bright pink on her last words.

Natalie smiled. "Amazing how things suddenly improved with you. First, he apologizes immediately after the poisoning and now you two are getting physical."

Hermione frowned. "No, we aren't. I won't try anything while he's still going out with Lavender."

"Well, whatever, but what do you want to do now that the bloody cow told us to get out? There's still at least an hour till the match."

Hermione gave her a small exasperated smile. "You swear just as much as Ron. But I'm guessing that you don't need a scarf so do you want to go to the library for a bit before the match? I want to see if I can still find something about Horcruxes."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Hermione, both you and I know the library backwards and neither of us have found a single fragment of information. Does that not tell you that perhaps Dumbledore intended for this subject to not be contained within Hogwarts, especially after he learnt that at least one student had been keen to learn about it?"

"I do agree, but there must be some reference in a non Dark Arts book to Horcruxes."

"No, I think Horcruxes are far too dark to be mentioned in any other book, but let's go to the library. I might as well work on those Arithmancy problems."

"Oh my god, how could have I forgotten about checking those problems? And they're so hard."

"Please spare me the 'everything's so difficult' line, Hermione. I'd say it's your best subject."

"You can't be so overconfident! With Arithmancy, you never know."

"Whatever you say."

As they reached the library, they saw Lavender Brown storming past them.

"What happened, Lavender?" remarked Natalie blithely. She could not help but feel jubilation at annoying the seemingly irate girl. She received an exasperated scowl from Hermione.

Upon hearing Natalie, Lavender jerked herself around to face the other two. "Well, yes he's sleeping."

Hermione frowned. "Why did you leave so soon, Lavender? Is he alright?"

"Stupid Madam Pomfrey told me to _stop being such a nuisance_."

"What did you do?" asked Natalie in mockingly concerned tone.

Lavender shot her a venomous glare. "That old cow would not let me by my boyfriend's side just because I tried to pinch him awake. Who does she think she is anyway? I'm his girlfriend."

"Madam Pomfrey's not a cow, Lavender. She's an exquisite healer, without whom, many of Hogwarts' students would be far worse off," said Hermione sharply.

Lavender looked taken aback at the suddenly curt tone to Hermione's voice. "You wouldn't understand, seeing as you're not his _girlfriend."_

At that moment, Natalie desperately wanted to stun the girl into oblivion. But before Natalie could reach into her robes, Lavender stalked off.

"She pisses me off," said Natalie irately.

Hermione held her arm, suppressed frustration showing on her face. "She is unbearably selfish, but you have to control your temper Natalie."

Natalie glanced at Hermione intently, realizing the separation between Ron and Lavender. "Hermione, why don't you go visit Ron? I'm sure Pomfrey will let you – she almost drools over you."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Should I? Maybe Ron is tired."

"Oh come on, don't believe that nonsense. Everyone except Lavender knows he pretends to be weak and sick to avoid her," said Natalie forcefully.

The smallest outlines of a smile appeared on Hermione's face. "Well yes, but how much time do we have?"

Natalie snapped her fingers annoyingly. "We have at least an hour before the match."

Hermione bit her lip anxiously, her eyebrows creasing in concentration. She nodded slowly. "Ok. It will be good for him to have company especially before the Quidditch match, knowing how Ron would have loved to play in the match."

"Just go," hissed Natalie irritably.

Hermione laughed, poking Natalie gently. "Ok. Calm down. I'll see you at the match. Whoever comes first can save the seat."

Natalie shook her head as she watched Hermione glide along the corridor back to the infirmary. She wondered embarrassingly if she was this excitable when she had become aware of her feelings for Harry.

As she contemplated the dissipating tension between Ron and Hermione, her mind almost felt refreshed. After Ron's near tangle with death, both had simultaneously decided that their squabble was far too selfish and damaging to their friendship. To Natalie's surprise and relief, their very dynamic, but unnecessary turbulent relationship had subsided into a more controlled but also more appreciative one. Natalie was happy to not have to cautiously navigate herself through any highly emotionally sensitive situations.

But looking at the library, she sighed. She had spent an extraordinary tedious amount of time over the past few days in there. Her Arithmancy problems could wait for tomorrow. She knew glumly that Harry, the source of much of her pleasure and excitement in the past few days, would be in the Quidditch change room for Gryffindor, relentlessly injecting a stream of encouragement to his team.

"Why so alone, Malkae?" drawled a nastily familiar voice.

Natalie jerked her head to glare at the disgusting sneer of the blonde haired Slytherin. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. With a slight startle, Natalie discerned a noticeable tiredness in his features. Heavy, grey bags lingered under his eyes, his mouth curled into an unpleasant grimace and his typically slick hair had become almost as ruffled as that of Harry. The unkempt and wearisome appearance only reinforced Natalie's general conclusion that some situation in Malfoy's personal life was causing him great distress; yet, she was not ready to concede to Harry that Malfoy's worries were rooted in some type of assignment he had received from Voldemort.

"I was going to the library, but then I noticed the smell, realizing it was _you_."

Natalie smiled cheekily at Malfoy. "I didn't take you for the library type, Malfoy – you know, smart, educated, refined. You _purebloods _do not seem to deserve those attributes."

He stepped slowly towards her till they were only a few feet apart, his sneer becoming too vivid for Natalie. "Watch what you say, Malkae."

Natalie's smile hardened. She maintained her eye contact with Malfoy, her fists clenched, but ready to grab her wand. "What? Going to get your Death Eater friends to come after me," said Natalie aggressively.

Malfoy laughed cruelly. "Didn't they already come? I know what happened Christmas day. Shame that your mother survived."

Natalie immediately pulled her wand out. Malfoy mirrored her motion. Within a moment, both of their wands were pressed against the other's throats.

Despite the reckless danger associated with their position, Natalie felt strangely excited. She had taken on Death Eaters more powerful and experienced than Malfoy and from what she had gathered from their lessons together, Malfoy's magical capabilities were not at all extraordinary.

"I'm sure you know what my mother and I did to your Death Eater friends," hissed Natalie.

"Oh, Malkae, but you don't know what I can do to you," snarled Malfoy though his eyes flickered over Natalie's wand.

"Let's see then," spat Natalie, deciding upon which curse to first use.

Suddenly, Natalie heard the sharp, efficient click of shoes walking along the corridor from around the corner near them. Realizing that only one person walked with such a brisk pace, she retracted her wand quickly. Malfoy too seemed to sense the presence of a teacher as he immediately pulled his wand from her throat.

However, when Professor McGonagall arrived, she was appalled by the scene unfolded before her eyes; Natalie and Draco Malfoy glaring at each other in utmost loathing with their wands drawn, ready to be used.

"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Malkae! Put those wands away. This is a school, not a dueling ground. Explain yourselves."

"We had a little argument, Professsor. We weren't going to use our wands," said Natalie quietly, not taking her eyes off Malfoy.

McGonagall stared at Natalie in disbelief. She turned to Malfoy expectantly. "And you, Malfoy?"

He yawned, lazily stretching his arms. "She's right, Professor."

McGonagall shook her head, still unconvinced. "Very well, then. Go along Malfoy and if I catch the both of you like this again, the ramifications will be much more severe."

He nodded absently at her before quickly scurrying in the opposite direction, towards the dungeons.

McGonagall looked at Natalie disapprovingly. "Natalie, I'm disappointed by your behavior and I know that it was not a little argument. Come to my office."

Natalie breathed heavily, outraged by the lack of reprimand for Malfoy. "He instigated the dispute. Why isn't he punished?"

"Because I am your Head of House. Do not think that I will not be informing Professor Snape about Malfoy's antics," snapped McGonagall. "Now come to my office."

Natalie followed her, seething. She did not know what she had done to merit such a harsh response from her friend.

After they entered her office Minerva closed the door, placing a silencing charm on it. She then turned towards Natalie with an expression of rigid sternness. "Natalie, you do not know how dangerous it is for you to be on the verge of a duel with a Slytherin and no less than Malfoy, who has several ties to Death Eaters.

"It's not like I can't take care of myself," huffed Natalie indignantly.

McGonagall pursed her lips. "It's not you I have to worry about. If Ginny Weasley was any indicator of your capabilities, then I do not want to be the one trying to explain to the Malfoys why their son is in St. Mungo's."

Natalie smiled, recognizing the smallest hint of a joke.

"But please do not take this lightly. I am serious when I say that you cannot find yourself in such a position again."

Natalie nodded. However, she could not keep her mind from flashing to the strained exhaustion blanketing Malfoy's face. She narrowed her eyes, deciding whether to chance an annoyed reprimand from Minerva.

"Natalie, is something bothering you?" asked Minerva curiously.

Natalie could not hold herself from inquiring. "Er, yes, there is. Minerva, you saw how tired Malfoy looked. And well, I'm pretty certain that it's not his school marks which are causing him so much worry."

McGonagall sighed. "Natalie, I told both you and Potter this after Bell's attack. Malfoy's antics have nothing to do with you and I can assure you that Professor Dumbledore has looked into Malfoy's situation."

"But Professor Dumbledore, er, sometimes he, er, does…" muttered Natalie incoherently. She wanted to question Dumbledore's decisions, but she could not express her objections about his judgment in a way that did not sound offending.

"What, Natalie? Are you doubting Professor Dumbledore's judgment?" asked McGonagall, examining her very closely.

"Well no," answered Natalie. She then decided to be candid and hope that she did not sound too disrespectful. "But I sometimes think that his lack of judgment can be detrimental in certain cases – for example, when he chooses to give people like Malfoy the benefit of the doubt," said Natalie, gaining strength as she proceeded.

McGonagall's face tightened into stricken austerity. "Natalie, look at me."

Cringing at the authoritative tone of her friend, Natalie looked into those stern black eyes. "Natalie, Professor Dumbledore's decisions and the decisions of the Order are not for students like you, Potter, Weasley or Miss Granger to question. I will repeat what I said and implicated with regards to Malfoy. The Headmaster has assessed Malfoy's situation in a very practical and sensible light and his judgment has not been distorted by the type of trustworthy disposition that you seem to indicate."

"Yes," said Natalie hastily. "But, you can't deny –"

"Professor Dumbledore does not trust people because he _wants_ to trust them, but because he knows he can trust them. And I know Draco Malfoy is not one of those people," said Minerva firmly, holding Natalie's eyes.

"Ok, I understand," said Natalie, assured slightly.

"Natalie, I do not want to hear from you or Potter anymore about Malfoy. Frankly, 16 year old students should not be bothering themselves with the decisions of a powerful and widely respected wizard like Professor Dumbledore. Do you understand?" asked Minerva with an aura of finality.

"Yes," said Natalie grudgingly, irritated by the implication that neither she nor Harry were mature enough to question Dumbledore's judgment. "Is that all?"

Minerva smiled at her for the first time. "What do you think, Natalie? I did place a Silencing charm upon the door."

Natalie sighed, finally becoming aware of the significance of the Silencing charm. "Did anything happen with Kalissa?"

"Natalie, why do you always have to be so pessimistic?"

"I'm not pessimistic, just practical. You and Kalissa should be proud."

"We are indeed very proud of you," said Minerva brightly.

"So judging by the very optimistic tone to your words, I'm guessing that you're the bearer of good news."

"Oh yes."

Natalie's eyes widened. "Oh come on Minerva, you know I don't like it when you lead me on," pleaded Natalie.

Minerva eyed her amusedly. "I have Kalissa's most recent letter for you." With a swift, eloquent wave of her wand, a drawer suddenly appeared at the bottom of her desk. Minerva pointed her wand at the drawer, opening it and then gently glided the thick layer of parchment to Natalie.

Natalie bounced jovially on her feet. "Oh thank you, Minerva. I had no idea." Whenever she received any form of communication from Kalissa, she could not help but feel a burst of childish elation.

Minerva smiled at her. "I honestly do not know why she writes such long letters. Even when we used to exchange letters as children, it took me at least two days to go through her rambling."

Even though she could hardly contain her excitement to read the letter, Natalie glanced anxiously at her watch. "Oh no, only twenty minutes," murmured Natalie to herself.

Minerva nodded knowingly, also looking at her watch. "I do not know if you will have time to read the full letter before the match."

"Your office is also quite far from the Quidditch pitch," added Natalie in frustration.

"And knowing how you love hearing from Kalissa, I doubt that you'll be able to stop yourself once you start reading," said Minerva in understanding.

Natalie frowned. "Can I leave the letter with you and then come pick it up after the match?" It pained her to separate herself from the real and vivid connection to Kalissa that the letter epitomized.

"Very well then."

Natalie nodded. Before she began to exit the office, she realized with a surge of curiosity that this encounter with Minerva presented a rare opportunity for her to pry any more information about her actual mother.

She looked at her Transfiguration professor nervously. "Er, Minerva, is there any news, anything important you could, er, tell me?"

Natalie half expected an irritated reprimand, but instead, she saw Minerva slap her hand against her forehead in apparent realization. "Oh thank you Natalie. I almost forget. My memory is fading with age."

"What?" inquired Natalie intently.

"Well, this is good news, but about a slightly darker topic," replied Minerva hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Well, when was the last time you heard of Bellatrix's whereabouts?" asked Minerva, gazing at Natalie.

Ignoring the feverish churns within her stomach, Natalie said evenly, "The last time I spoke to Kalissa – at the Hog's head. You were there. Kalissa said that she was moving around, but not coming near Hogwarts."

Minerva nodded, remembering. "I'm sure tomorrow's Daily Prophet will carry this news, but yesterday, a group of Aurors almost managed to detain Bellatrix. She escaped, but was apparently severely injured by the ambush. Anyway, the Order has been informed from a source that You-Know-Who, after hearing about Bellatrix's close escape, has chosen to keep her contained far away from Hogwarts."

Natalie let out an anguished sigh at her mother's near capture. Absorbing the last part of Minerva's news, she frowned. She sensed the safety benefits for her if Voldemort chose to control Bellatrix, but could not bring herself to fully believe that such a mad person could be suppressed. "What do you mean by 'contained'?"

"He has taken away her wand and kept her locked within a special location under his supervision for her apparent misjudgment- I believe Kalissa already informed you that he was trying to control her careless behavior. Professor Dumbledore believes that her punishment will remain, likely till the end of the school year."

Natalie smiled, a wave of relief tumbling through her. She still was overwhelmingly aware that the reprieve was brief. Voldemort had merely ensured a very short segregation between Kalissa, her and Bellatrix.

"Thanks, Minerva. It's quite good news."

Minerva nodded. "And Kalissa would like to meet you at the Hog's Head sometime in the middle of April. I do not think it will be too dangerous if you stay for the night with her, though the Hog's Head rooms are not nearly as luxurious as a Hogwarts dormitory."

Natalie laughed. "Anything with Kalissa is great, no matter where you are."

Minerva smiled, glancing at her watch. "I think the match will start soon so you may go. I should go as well."

"Bye Minerva. Hopefully Gryffindor will win."

Natalie arrived at the match just before it started, fighting her way through the screaming Gryffindor fans. She sat down between Hermione and Neville.

"Where were you?" shouted Hermione over all the noise.

"With McGonagall," replied Natalie in an equally loud voice. Then in response to Hermione's quizzical look, Natalie said pointedly, "I'll tell you later."

Hermione nodded. "So how does the team look?" hollered Natalie to Neville, half heartedly trying to show an interest in Quidditch.

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Not bad. McLaggen's really riling up the rest of them though. Stubborn git."

Natalie looked towards the Gryffindor replacement keeper. At that moment, he ignored Harry's commands to simply hover in front of the hoops, but instead chose to circle around in an overly complicated motion.

She nudged Hermione in the ribs. "Thank god your little fling with McLaggen stopped before it began," whispered Natalie, almost having to press her mouth against Hermione's ear in order to be audible.

"Me too," Hermione exclaimed, laughing.

The match proceeded in a rather disjointed, uncertain manner. McLaggen's poor Keeping was offset by the superb passing and scoring of Gryffindor's Chasers. Harry continued to circle the pitch, trying to discern the snitch while simultaneously, shouting at McLaggen for not adhering to their game plan. Natalie could not believe a person could be so intractably arrogant. McLaggen constantly attempted to instruct the Beaters and Chasers, causing them to shoot infuriated glares in his direction and from Natalie's perspective, he was upsetting the general cohesiveness of the team.

After McLaggen had let in Ravenclaw's tenth goal because he had been showing one of Gryffindor's beaters how to swing a bat, Natalie perceived that Harry was starting to lose his temper. He zoomed towards McLaggen, his face beet red. McLaggen did not see Harry coming as his blind swing of the bat pelted a bludger directly into Harry's stomach.

Hermione screamed. Neville gasped. Natalie stiffened immediately, her hands clutching her face. Harry's face went blank, his hands slipped off his broom which tilted, causing him to fall toward the ground in a nauseatingly slow and surreal motion. Natalie watched his dropping body, rigid with terror. Her stomach seemed to fall with him, her heart pounding against her chest. She could not summon the energy to pull out her wand.

She felt a tugging sensation. As she slowly rotated her head, she realized that Hermione was trying to drag her to the pitch. Natalie abruptly returned to the moment, grasping the harm inflicted upon Harry. She, Hermione and Neville rushed to the pitch to Harry's unconscious body. After they had finally pushed their way through the mass of people crowding Harry, Natalie breathed in relief. His body did not look to be severely damaged; there were no noticeable cuts, no signs of intense bleeding, no broken bones. Harry's broom had not been far off the ground when he fell. Before she could reach out to touch Harry, Cootes and Peake, Gryffindor's beaters, lifted Harry, placing him on a stretcher. Professor McGonagall, who was ordering students to return to their seats, levitated the stretcher and then began to guide it out of the stadium.

She looked at the rest of the Gryffindor's team. "McLaggen, we will talk about your disgraceful behavior following the conclusion of the match." She then turned towards Natalie and Hermione. "Miss Granger and Miss Malkae, you can come with me. The rest of you, please return to your seats! NOW!"

McLaggen angrily lifted off the ground along with the rest of the team. Under Minerva's insistent expression, the crowd around Harry reluctantly walked away. Natalie and Hermione followed Minerva out of the stadium and into the castle, Harry's limp body levitating besides them.

Once they entered the hospital wing, Minerva placed Harry's body on the bed next to Ron's. Ron, who had been watching the window, jerked his head to look worriedly at Harry.

"McLaggen's a real git. I heard from the commentary what happened," hissed Ron furiously.

Madam Pomfrey shook her hand. "Quidditch. How many times have I told them to be carefully?" She gently bandaged Harry's head and then forced a steaming potion down Harry's throat.

"Isn't that dangerous? Won't he choke?" asked Natalie anxiously.

Madam Pomfrey shot Natalie an irritated glance. "Let me do my job. I have been at the Infirmary for more than thirty years."

Hermione shook her head. "Healing potions are designed to flow smoothly along a person's throat; the magic opens all the valves along the human throat and digestive tract. Any chance of choking is prevented," explained Hermione, looking at Harry with a steely eyed expression on her face. "Why does Harry always end up on a hospital bed from Quidditch injuries each year?"

"Well, in third year, you can't really blame the Quidditch. Those Dementors terrified him," countered Ron.

Hermione looked as if she wanted to mutter a sharp and witty retort, but looking at the wearisome concern on Natalie's face, she thankfully pursed her lips.

After about twenty minutes, they heard the students exiting the Quidditch stadium and filing into the castle. The rest of the team arrived, worried about Harry, but also very sullen about conceding the match to Ravenclaw. Much to Natalie's dislike, Ginny hovered closely to Harry's side, fussing and examining over him. She noticed Dean's expression bore a combination of concern and aggrieved exhaustion at Ginny's anxiety.

After ten minutes of nervous idling and shuffling, the team decided to return to Gryffindor Tower and change out of their soggy, torn uniforms. Natalie sighed in relief. Even though the animus between her and Ginny was lessening, she still knew that Ginny's schoolgirl crush for Harry had not lost much of its fervor.

To Ron's dismay, Hermione had promised to tutor some First years in Charms. Natalie stayed in the infirmary, reading her Arithmancy textbook.

"What are you reading anyway?" asked Ron groggily, following an hour of irritated twitching from him while Natalie focused on her homework.

"Arithmancy textbook."

"What's so nice about Arithmancy?" muttered Ron.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to understand Hermione?"

Ron, not picking up on the sarcasm in Natalie's comment, continued. "She's more obsessed about that bloody subject than you are. What use is Arithmancy?"

Natalie sighed. "Ron, do you know about Muggle mathematics?"

Ron nodded. "A bit, not much. Remember I didn't grow up as a Muggle like you, Harry and Hermione."

"Well, without mathematics, Muggles would not be able to do keep records of almost all of their information such as money. And for the magical world, almost forms of magic are defined by the equations and formulas described in Arithmancy."

Ron raised his hand to stop Natalie. "Okay, okay. You sound like Hermione."

"I do not," said Natalie crossly.

Ron grinned cheekily at her. "Oh come on. You get that McGonagall tone in your voice too."

"I was trying to explain Arithmany to you and not trying to be criticized for how _I explained._ Now, I know why Hermione gets irritated with you."

Ron frowned. "Hermione doesn't get angry with me for that, but more like –"

"When you act like a selfish git and go snog Lavender Brown after she had all but asked you to come with Slughron's party," finished Natalie, flinching as she realized her tone sounded far too accusatory.

Ron's ears tinged red but he looked slightly bewildered. "She wanted me to come with her with Slughorn's party?"

"Well, that's what I gathered," said Natalie waspishly.

Ron's expression suddenly became quite eager. "Did she tell you? Did she want me to come as, er –"

"More than a friend," finished Natalie once again.

Ron's ears became even redder, but he nevertheless nodded.

Natalie paused, enjoying the maddening curiosity on Ron's face. "I think she did. She was quite excited after you said you didn't want her to go with McLaggen. And I'm pretty certain she wanted you to attend as more than a friend if she nearly had a mental breakdown at the sight of your mouth all over Lavender Brown's face."

Ron closed his eyes in clear agitation. "What an idiot I am! If I had just forgot about Krum."

"Yes, you are an idiot," acknowledged Natalie earnestly.

Ron grinned at her. "But Hermione and I are back on good terms so I _was_ an idiot."

"Oh come on. You didn't do anything deliberately to get her to fall back in your arms. If I remember her correctly, it was the sight of your poisoned your body that changed her mood."

Ron shrugged. "Well, you don't have to be so pessimistic. I mean I had to do something right for us to not be biting at each other's throats. Do you think she would talk to me now if I was still behaving like a git?"

"No, she would not," Natalie answered. Despite her claim to Ron, she was aware that he had indeed softened and sensitized his disposition with Hermione since the poisoning.

"Then I must have done something right!" exclaimed Ron.

Natalie smiled at him. "I suppose you do have a point. I stand corrected."

Ron returned the smile. "You know, I like our conversations. It's quite fun actually."

Natalie nodded. "Good jesting."

Ron suddenly began fiddling nervously with his hands. "What's wrong, Ron?" asked Natalie, noticing the abrupt twitch.

He looked at her apologetically. "Er, well, I should have told you this earlier, but I'm sorry that I was quick in judging you earlier and that we never really were on good terms until after my poisoning."

Natalie smiled. "I can't say that you weren't a real git to me in the beginning, but I think the fact that I was at Hermione's side for the last few months partly excuses your distant attitude with me."

"And it has been nice to finally have a rival in chess," quipped Ron, a smile curling on his lips.

"A rival? I've thrashed you a few times!" exclaimed Natalie, raising her eyebrows in indignation.

Suddenly, Harry awoke from his reverie, blankly looking around the room.

"Nice of you to drop in," said Ron, grinning.

Harry blinked and looked around. His eyebrows narrowed, seeming to remember McLaggen's blind strike. He took in Natalie, smiling warmly at her and with his eyes, beckoning for her to come closer. She obliged, squeezing his hand.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"Cracked skull," said Madam Pomfrey who had swept into the room, unnoticed by any of the other three.

Harry groaned. "What did the final score end up being?"

"Pretty bad actually. We lost to Hufflepuff by almost 300 points."

Harry's eyes darkened. "When I get out of here, I'm going to kill McLaggen," said Harry savagely.

"I don't think that will be such a good idea," said Ron reasonably, clearly delighted with McLaggen's failure.

"What time is it?" answered Harry, still dazed.

"Quite late. Your girlfriend's been waiting for a while." Ron yawned, rubbing his eyes. "I think I'm going to lie down."

Ron turned over on his side away from them, conspicuously leaving Natalie and Harry alone. He slowly began to snore.

Harry raised his eyebrows at Natalie. "You know you didn't have to wait for me. It was just a Quidditch injury."

"I was worried and it's quite difficult for me to remain calm when I see you fall off your broom," replied Natalie fiercely.

Harry's face flushed. "Thanks."

Natalie kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her in complete adoration. Natalie's insides soared in effrontery at the expression on his face.

"Has Madam Pomfrey gone, yet?" asked Harry mischievously.

Natalie frowned at him. "Why?"

Harry grinned at her deviously. "Well, we could have some private time together, seeing that Ron looks to be deep asleep."

Natalie returned his smile. "She has gone. I have missed you quite a bit."

She leaned over to meet his lips. Harry deepened the kiss quickly, wrapping his hands around Natalie. She responded by holding his head firmly against his pillows. As they both began to become locked in their position, Ron suddenly jerked his body to face them, his eyes wide open in bemusement. Harry and Natalie immediately broke apart. Both of their faces were flushed in crimson red.

"I do think that Madam Pomfrey would object to the two of you sharing a bed in her hospital wing," said Ron, a very devilish smirk on his face.

"Shut up Ron," said Harry, throwing a pillow onto Ron's face.

"Anyway, we would not be doing _that_ in the hospital wing," said Natalie defensively.

Ron threw the pillow back at Harry. "Oh yeah, it would rather be done in the safe confines of Gryffindor tower," snorted Ron, still smirking.

Natalie breathed heavily. "He's a real pain in the arse, isn't he, Harry?"

As Ron snorted derisively, Harry nodded at her, not paying any attention to his red haired friend. "I honestly don't know why I was placed in the same room."

Natalie sighed. "Looks like he's keeping an annoying eye on us."

Harry looked at her pleadingly. "Stay, please. It's nice, er, having you here."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell. Harry, you're embarrassing yourself."

"Oh, will you keep quiet?" snapped Natalie, glaring at Ron.

She smiled warmly at Harry. Hearing the desperate urgency in his voice, Natalie quickly decided that she would not be leaving the hospital wing unless Madam Pomfrey physically threatened her. Realizing the raw, fully bodied but soft, sincere vitality of his desire for her, Natalie's heartbeat fluttered. "Of course."

As she gazed into those rich, green orbs, she fell into a familiar appreciative reverie. Six months ago, she and Kalissa had parted, uncertain and scared for their future. Though her life was still fraught with danger, Natalie could not help but feel that the green eyes she longed for each today had blazed through her entire conscience, reminding her of a romantic promise and purity that six months ago, would have triggered an unaffected scorn within her and all the while, infusing her with a revitalizing determination to end the predicament she and so many others faced.


	23. Lily's Protection

Chapter 23- Lily's Protection

**A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the past chapter! And once again, thanks to my sister for relentlessly editing this chapter. If it were not for her, there would be some serious grammar/spelling errors (apparently, I spelled Hermione's name wrong multiple times).**

**Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own zero percent of Harry Potter.**

"Are you reading that essay again?"

Natalie glanced at Harry annoyingly. "It's a letter from Kalissa."

Harry yawned. "I know. But it still looks like an essay."

Hermione shook her head at him, the smallest cracks of a smirk on her face.

Natalie gestured to the thick and very morbid looking book in Hermione's hand that she had obtained from the Restricted section. "Found anything yet?" The three of them had devoted most of the Saturday evening to finding any clues about a Horcrux. Now at half past nine, all of them were becoming increasingly frustrated at the utter lack of information; Hermione had merely found one book that warned a Horcrux to be a very dark object not to be mentioned.

"You know the answer," said Hermione, her brow furrowing as she read through the book.

"The letter's still bothering you?" muttered Harry, rubbing his eyes tiredly, but gently placing his hand on Natalie's leg.

Natalie nodded, frowning at Kalissa's letter. "It's not different than her other ones. Telling me that everything's going well, asking about school and you guys and telling me to be careful but to enjoy myself –"

"But something's bothering you," noted Hermione, still scanning the textbook.

Natalie clicked her tongue. "Yes. It's just the way the last part's written – almost seems like she's slightly frantic and overwhelmed."

Harry looked at her seriously. "I know she's safer, but her situation still is pretty dangerous."

Natalie waved off his comment. "No, no, no Harry – you don't know Kalissa. The fact that Voldemort desperately wants her dead does not bother her in the slightest – it probably energizes her a bit. Her letters and just her usual way of talking and communicating are laden with small, excitable anecdotes, jokes and generally very casual laid back observations. This letter contained no such information – for heaven's sake, she spent four paragraphs talking about overcooked roast beef. And Kalissa is not domestic at all."

Harry frowned. "So you're thinking that she's discovered something that's bothering her."

Natalie nodded at him. "Precisely."

"I thought you said Bellatrix had been relocated by Voldemort," whispered Hermione anxiously.

Natalie sighed. "That's the problem. Quite frankly, there is relatively very little for her to worry about. Bellatrix has temporarily been suppressed and Dumbledore has managed to hide Kalissa in a place Voldemort cannot detect."

"Maybe you're worrying too much," suggested Harry.

Natalie shook her head. "I know her. She is undoubtedly flustered – it cannot be something that concerns her safety. I'm guessing that she's learned something about Voldemort or just generally about the 'Dark' side that is troubling her."

Harry's attention was aroused. "Do you think she knows about Horcruxes?"

Natalie had already contemplated this possibility thoroughly. "I'm guessing she knows a small bit about whatever he was trying to do with Horcruxes from school with him. But she won't tell me, likely because Dumbledore has sworn to her secrecy. Even though I'm almost like her daughter, she also trusts Dumbledore with her life and will never disobey him. Anyway, Horcruxes seems to be a subject that Dumbledore has mostly come upon by himself as he's tried to profile Voldemort."

"I agree," concurred Hermione. "I think Horcruxes constitute an extremely secretive part of Voldemort's life of which Dumbledore is the only one to fully realize. Slughorn may have a general idea about it, but he clearly is too scared to look into or even contemplate it more carefully."

Seeing the frustrated frown on Harry's face, Natalie added, "But when I see her next week, I'll try to find out as much as I possibly can."

Harry smiled. "And you can also see how she's doing."

Natalie recognized the compassionate tone in his face. Smiling at him in gratitude, she softly pecked him on the cheek, causing his cheek to turn bright red.

"Bloody hell! I can already see the two of you snogging in the corner," whistled Ron as he dropped his bag on their table.

Natalie quickly glanced at Madam Pince. Fortunately, she was too busy chastising a group of first year Ravenclaws about an Exploding snap game they had clandestinely been conducting.

"How was Lavender?" asked Harry, smirking at his friend. Hermione's head perked up slightly in alarm.

"Bloody annoying. Honestly, she is like the giant squid – when I try to even hint that I'm not that keen on her, she holds on tighter. Practically had to say that I was becoming worried about my grades and needed the night 'to catch up'."

This time, surprisingly, Hermione let out a small chuckle. "Very unbecoming of you Ron. Finally taking after me."

"After six years finally. Though you never had poor grades," acknowledged Ron, causing Hermione to turn a faint pink.

"Honestly," muttered Harry under his breath, shaking his head at the two of them.

Ron glanced at the vast assortment of books spread across the table. "I gather that this is not a Saturday night study party, but a –"

"Horcrux-looking party," finished Hermione quietly.

Ron shook his head in bewilderment. "I thought the two of you agreed that Harry would have to 'be himself' in order to get Slughorn to talk and not _look at books._"

"We never said to not look at books," exclaimed Hermione.

"We still believe what you said Ron, but it can't hurt at least having a general idea about Horcruxes," said Natalie.

"Especially when Dumbledore sprung up this subject with no background information whatsoever," grumbled Harry.

"Looking at the exhausted expressions on your faces, I gather that this search has been quite unsuccessful," remarked Ron airily.

"Go snog the giant squid," muttered Harry disgruntedly.

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like if You-Know-Who has Horcruxes, it's probably too dark to be contained in this library."

"Very insightful, Ron," said Natalie sarcastically.

Hermione, however, smiled at Ron thoughtfully. "You know maybe he's right. Maybe we can infer something about Horcruxes by just going through what Dumbledore has told Harry about Voldemort."

Ron's chest seemed to expand slightly with Hermione's praise.

Natalie nodded. "Might as well try. Okay we know that this Horcrux thing is a part of Voldemort that he believes to be uniquely attached to him."

"Yes, and it may be an attempt for him to overcome some barrier that, as a tyrant, he regards as dangerous," noted Hermione.

Quickly, three pairs of eyes darted towards Harry who sighed. "Okay, so wait, you think Horcruxes are a way for him to kill me?"

Natalie frowned. "No because Voldemort seems to have associated himself with them before you were born and it seems to be something more affiliated with him."

Harry mockingly let out a huge breath. "Wow, I'm relieved. Finally, something about Voldemort that does not end in my death."

"Yeah, mate, nothing to worry about," said Ron, clapping him on the back.

"Let's get back to our minor list of Horcruxes," said Hermione, suddenly quite engaged in their conversation.

"Didn't you say he liked to collect objects documenting his bullying as a child?" asked Natalie, looking at Harry.

Harry contemplated her suggestion. "Okay so the Horcruxes may be represented by a set of very wealthy and illustrious magical objects that Voldemort probably stole for himself."

"Oh let's not forget, boys and girls, that this is You-Know-Who we're talking about, so I'm making a highly insightful conclusion that he did something horrible to get or make these Horcruxes," commented Ron jokingly.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "You could take this a bit more seriously."

Hermione closed her eyes in concentration. "So we're looking for something terribly dark and nasty, so important and unique that Voldemort would regard it as a treasured secret, an object or concept that gives him greater dominance in the Wizarding World by overcoming some well known barrier and finally, something that he uses items to represent."

All of them sat in silence, considering Hermione's statement. Natalie perceived that each of them had an eerily vague sense of Voldemort's purpose for Horcruxes, but were not able to specify and crystallize his real intentions.

Ron snapped his fingers abruptly, looking at the rest of them in surprise.

"What?" asked Natalie impatiently, annoyed at him for distracting her thoughts.

"None of you see it?" asked Ron, gazing at them in astonishment.

"Honestly Ron, see what?" snapped Hermione.

"This is a first," whistled Ron, looking at all of them with an extremely smug expression.

"Ron, get to the point," said Harry irritably.

"Well, couldn't You-Know-Who need Horcruxes to make him immortal? Is death not 'the greatest enemy of the human mind'?" said Ron intently.

Natalie and Hermione gasped. "Oh Ron, you're right. You're brilliant!" screamed Hermione, throwing her arms around his neck. Ron's face turned a bright read, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

Natalie grinned at him. "Yes, that was a brilliant insight, Mr. Weasley." Of course, the greatest fear of a magical tyrant would be death, the one inevitable barrier to unlimited magical power.

Harry laid his hands on the back of the window, looking out the window in numb surprise.

Natalie frowned at him. "What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry slowly shook his head. "How could I have not seen it?" He turned towards Ron and Hermione grimly. "Remember when I was in the graveyard with him and all the Death Eaters?"

"In your fourth year," said Natalie, remembering his recount of Voldemort's return.

"Yes," said Harry, his eyes darkening. "When I was there, he specifically said that his goal was 'to conquer death' and that he had tried various _experiments. _ How did I forget that?"

Ron smiled mischievously at the three of them. "What bothers me is that none of you three managed to make such a simple conclusion."

"But the superbly intelligent Ron Weasley did," muttered Natalie sarcastically.

Ron waved his finger in her face. "Oh, don't put me down. Without me, you'd still be scratching your head about the Horcruxes."

"Ron, we never said you weren't clever," remarked Hermione, amused at Ron's animated behavior.

Suddenly, Madam Pince appeared at their table, glaring at Hermione. "Miss Granger, I do not know what caused you to create such a commotion, but please be considerate of others." She looked at the rest of them. "This table is an utter mess. It is already quite late and I do not want to be explaining to Argus Filch as to why in the early hours of the morning, my library is still occupied with students."

Natalie sighed. "I suppose we should go."

Madam Pince narrowed her eyes into an alarmingly accurate representation of a hawk. "Do not suppose that you should go, Miss Malkae, but that you must leave the library."

Hermione nodded absently, running her hand through her hair in embarrassment. "Er, sorry about the screaming and yeah, we'll clean up this, er, mess and leave soon."

Madam Pince nodded approvingly before silently gliding away.

"Bloody hawk," muttered Ron under his breath.

Hermione scowled at him. "Okay, Natalie, I think we should take all the books that are not from the Restricted Section, that talk about the Killing curse and any magical interpretations of death. See if we can learn anything about the Killing Curse and how it could be overcome."

Natalie nodded, waving her wand to arrange the books into a pile and then expanding her bag to allow for the extra weight. "I just want to keep some of the books you found about ancient magic – we might be able to learn something about the Killing Curse."

Harry still stared at the window, enraptured with the memories of the graveyard.

As they stood up, Ron slapped Harry across the back. "Come on mate. I know you didn't see it, but not everybody has my deductive skills," said Ron jovially.

Harry awoke from his trance, grinning at Ron. "Clearly, your mum didn't teach you about humility."

They returned to Gryffindor tower. The common room, still crowded with students on a Saturday evening, did not appear to be the most ideal place to discuss Horcruxes.

"Looks like Lavender has gone to sleep," commented Natalie dryly, noticing the absence of the blonde haired girl hurtling herself onto Ron.

"Thank God," breathed Ron.

The four of them settled into the armchairs by the fireplace. Hermione turned to the rest of them. "Listen, let's just look through the books. Once there are less people around, we'll start talking about what we think. Obviously, our little group thinking session worked in the library."

The other three agreed. All of them, including Ron, approached the new search for the meaning of Horcruxes with a rejuvenated resolve and alertness.

After about an hour and a half of poring over books about ancient magic, the Killing Curse and magical views of the afterlife, Natalie's mind had become drenched with new information. Surges of excitement pulsed through her at all of the novel and harrowing insights into the magical systems and laws concerning death and most importantly the ancient magic associated with the protection that Harry's mother cast upon him. Yet, her frustration mounted with her inability to connect any of these descriptions to Horcruxes. The other three looked equally as exhausted and dazed; Harry had taken to staring out of the common window, Ron had started to fiddle with his chess pieces and Hermione continued to scan through the books, pausing to take dramatically frustrated breaths.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Obviously, we've all reached a dead end of some sort. It's getting pretty late and it looks the common room has pretty much emptied so why don't we compare information?"

Harry left his reverie to return to them. "The books are a bunch of waffle. They all talk about immortality, but are too scared to even talk about how to do it. It's as if the book itself is aware of Voldemort."

"I agree with Harry. Like I said before, Horcruxes are too dark to be contained in this school," concurred Ron, stretching his arms tiredly.

"There's got to be something," retorted Hermione determinedly, not letting herself believe so easily in the impracticability of books. "From the books I went through, there's a very thorough history and description of several major curses associated with the Dark Arts as the possible countercurse to these curses. So obviously, there must be at least something that deals with overcoming the Killing Curse."

Natalie sighed. "I actually learned quite a bit about the Killing curse and Ancient magic. But I can't seem to deduct anything about Horcruxes."

"Well, let's just hear what you found out. At the very least, we might learn something new," said Hermione.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, the Killing Curse – it's overall magical structure – is quite unique and ingenious, but considering how the curse works, it's still remarkable that your mom's love managed to protect you, Harry."

Natalie's statement produced the desired effect. Harry's head suddenly perked up, alert and stimulated. Even Ron's eyes flickered towards Natalie in interest.

"So how does the curse work?" questioned Harry, intently.

Natalie smiled. "Well, since neither you two, Harry and Ron, are in Arithmancy, you wouldn't know that most of the curses we employ draw their energy from the magical interactions of the extremely tiny particles that make up our world. It merely takes proper concentration on the wizard and witch's part, as well as a correct incantation and wand movement to shape and twist those tiny particle magical interactions into the desired combination to drive the spell. There are complex mathematical formulas and equations that actually describe how the magical forces arrange themselves for a particular spell." She gestured to the two boys. "Both of you understand? It's really an extension of Muggle physics at the most elemental level."

Ron groaned. "And I thought you were going to actually say something interesting. We didn't want a lecture about Arithmancy."

"You need to understand that, Ron, or you won't be even able to comprehend the specific structure of any spell," snapped Hermione.

Ron raised his hands to appease Hermione. "Okay, okay, I see. Arithmancy is absolutely wonderful." He gave a thumbs up to Harry. "Understand, mate?"

Harry nodded, grinning at Ron and at the highly irritated expressions on the faces of the two girls.

Natalie shook her head in exasperation. "Returning back to some educated conversation, there are, however, certain spells that do not draw their power from physical magic, but rather from human emotion. These spells, which include all of the Unforgivable curses and most Dark Arts curses, can be extremely powerful given the intensity of one's emotional state. Well – the Killing curse – it obviously operates on the worst of human vices – in other words, the ruthlessly cruel and heartless desire for the death of another person."

"That's why Voldemort's so good at the Killing curse. He has no heart," said Harry savagely, an angry glint in his eye.

Natalie nodded sadly, remembering the savage cruelty she had seen in Bellatrix's eyes. "However, the Killing Curse is more rooted in Ancient magic because even though it relies on human emotion, it actually originates and springs out of an alternate universe –"

"A what?" spluttered Harry.

"You alright, Natalie?" asked Ron, narrowing his eyebrows at her.

"Of course I am," retorted Natalie sharply.

Hermione sighed. "Both of you never listened when I told you to take Arithmancy. There are such things as magical alternate universes – they're simply governed by slightly different magical systems and laws – unlike our universe, they're usually not inhabited by people. Using an alternate universe through emotions is extremely old magic – as old as Hogwarts."

Harry still looked at Natalie skeptically while Ron shook his head in bewilderment.

"Do both of you understand? Because this is really important in order to understand how the Killing Curse works," said Natalie testily.

"Yes, though the idea's still kind of odd. Sounds like a science fiction movie," said Harry.

Natalie continued, ignoring Ron's inevitable question about science fiction. "Okay, upon uttering the famous incantation of the Killing Curse, those emotions of cruel hatred are transferred momentarily to an alternate universe in which they gain energy, change and coalesce and then almost always immediately return to our world to take the soul of the person the curse is aimed towards."

"Why can't the Killing Curse stay in this universe?" asked Ron blankly.

Natalie smiled at him. "That's actually a pretty important question. It took centuries of research to determine the answer. I read a really generalized and slightly ambiguous version of the answer, but essentially, the alternate universe – nobody knows its true physical structure or they would be dead – has a different structure that allows the killer's emotions to fuse and combine in the most, er, effective and powerful manner to strip a person of its soul in this world."

Harry gave a burdensome shudder, closing his eyes. The other three looked at him worriedly.

"Harry?" asked Hermione edgily.

Harry breathed heavily. "No, nothing. When I've seen that curse used, it's, well, just hard to take in."

A wave of empathy for Harry coursed through Natalie. She squeezed his arm gently, smiling into his eyes. He returned the smile, wrapping his arm her shoulder and holding him closely to her while Ron gagged.

"Natalie, how could the Killing Curse be overcome then?" pressed Hermione, still frowning in concern at Harry.

Natalie nodded, letting herself drop comfortably into Harry's arms. His face had regained its alert look, sensing that the subject of his mother would be mentioned.

"Remember how I said the curse is rooted in Ancient magic, Hermione?"

Hermione's face dawned in realization. "And didn't Dumbledore say that the protection Harry was given from his mother is Ancient magic? So Harry, your mother's love somehow –"

"Blocked the mixing and fusing of the Killing Curse's emotions in the alternate universe and directed those emotions back at Voldemort," said Natalie, exchanging a tired smile with Hermione. "But there's slightly more to the spell than I mentioned. The way it is formed in this alternate world essentially designs a magical contract for our world which stipulates that either one of the two people involved in the Killing Curse has to die – and as you know, magical contracts are eternally binding. But this –"

"Only makes it stranger that both Voldemort and I survived," noted Harry.

Natalie nodded. "Also, the consequence of this magical contract is that the mental or physical residue of the Killing Curse only exists for that moment in time – the time period of the contract essentially compromises the time of the interaction between the murderer and the victim. As a result, the energy of the curse is concentrated purely for that moment and cannot sustain itself for any longer. According to these principles, there should be no connection between you and Voldemort – either physical or mental. So clearly for the two of you, the Killing Curse lost its authenticity."

Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully, her eyes screwed in concentration. "Natalie, could the love of Harry's mother been powerful enough to change the structure of the curse?"

"That seems like the only possibility," concurred Harry intently, his eyes fixated upon Natalie.

Natalie considered Hermione's suggestion. "It seems very possible. From one of the books on Ancient magic, what I've gathered is that Ancient magical protection operates solely by interfering with whatever it is opposing in the alternate universe. Any Ancient magical attempt to guard against the Killing Curse would hinder the organization of the curse's energy and emotions within this other universe and therefore could alter the contract created by the Killing Curse in our world. However, all the books said that the Killing Curse is known to come from the most powerful and darkest form of magic."

"That's what I read," agreed Harry. Hermione nodded as well.

Natalie smiled at them. "And, therefore, Ancient magical protection would have to more strength and force behind it than the Killing Curse in order for it to change its structure."

"So, you think that the protection cast upon Harry is not purely Ancient magic," stated Hermione, fiddling with a strand of hair.

"Which kind of means that we are going round in circles," announced Ron airily.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him. "I don't think we need the sarcasm, Ron. I think that this is some type of progress."

Harry snapped his fingers. "Wait!" He exclaimed in realization.

"What?" asked Natalie and Hermione in concern while Ron just stared at Harry in bewilderment.

"I think we're overcomplicating everything. In the graveyard, Voldemort put some of my blood into that potion that he used to revive himself," said Harry.

"And you think that explains the connection because your blood contained your mother's protection," finished Natalie. Harry's explanation made far more sense that the one she had been formulating in her mind; she could not help but feel miffed. That all her reading and analyzing had been useless.

Harry nodded. "Dumbledore said that was why last year I could see into his mind."

Hermione, who had her eyes closed in concentration, slapped her hand on the table. She shook her head. "That can't be the entire reason for the connection. Remember in the summer before fourth year when you had that dream about Voldemort and Wormtail plotting something and that was what they were actually doing."

Harry breathed in shock. "I completely forgot about that. So then the –"

"connection had already been made when Voldemort injected some of your blood into his body," said Natalie excitedly. Her ideas could have some merit after all.

This time, Ron cleared his throat. "And also Harry, it doesn't explain about your scar hurting every time he was close."

Natalie nodded enthusiastically. "That's probably the most important information about the connection."

Harry inhaled deeply, his eyes flickering over the other three. "Okay, so let's go back to what Natalie was saying. Without trying to decipher the specific mechanism, my mum's love was able to disrupt the formation of the Killing Curse and send it rebounding back to Voldemort in that other universe while, simultaneously, in our world, rejecting the conditions set by the contract of the Killing Curse."

"That's about it. Quite a special woman your mum was," said Natalie, rubbing Harry's arm gently. She realized that their highly thorough and intense discussion, surrounding Harry's mum, may have tuned into his sensitivity about her.

"I know," replied Harry sadly.

Ron raised his finger slowly to the two of them. "Something doesn't make sense," said the red haired boy, his eyes unusually glazed over in determination.

"What?" asked Hermione, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

Ron turned towards Harry. "Don't take this the wrong way, Harry or you, Hermione," he started tentatively. Seeing the curious looks on their face, he inhaled before saying, "Harry, your mum was a Muggleborn. And for her to be able to change the Killing Curse, there must be some very powerful magic associated with her and wouldn't, er, somebody with some magical background be more likely to have that power?"

Hermione snapped her fingers furiously. "Ron, just because we have no magical family, it does not mean that we do not have the magical capabilities to be part of advanced magic," stated Hermione fiercely.

"No, no, no Hermione. I never meant it that way. After seeing you for six years, how could I honestly think such a thing?" added Ron urgently, retreating from Hermione's narrowed eyes.

Natalie's eyes widened in comprehension. "Wow, Ron, that may be your most brilliant insight."

Ron smiled at her in relief. "You get what I mean?"

"What?" asked Harry confusedly.

Natalie looked at Harry and Hermione. "What's he saying, in a less crude way, is that your mum, Harry, was able to do something unheard of – modify the Killing Curse. Therefore, there must be something special about her or the circumstances around her death, but Ron and I, as well, find it difficult to grasp as to why she should be the person to do this."

Ron gave Natalie a thumbs up, mouthing, "Thanks" to her.

The fiery glare in Hermione's eyes dissipated. She stared at Ron in an unusual combination of admiration and satisfaction.

"What?" asked Ron, seeing the pleased expression on Hermione's face.

Hermione clasped her hands on the desk, gazing at the other three excitedly. "When I was looking at the history of some extremely dangerous Dark Arts curses and the ways in which others have been overpowered, there were a few cases very similar to Harry and his mum – in which one person was given a choice to, er, not be exposed to the curse, but chose to instead sacrifice often their sanity so as to protect the other one. And –"

"Wait, Voldemort gave your mum a choice, right, Harry?" blurted Natalie, remembering with a sharp pang of surprise Dumbledore's description about Lily Potter's death. "Oh sorry, Hermione," said Natalie, glancing apologetically at an indignant Hermione.

"According to Dumbledore, but I have absolutely no clue as to why Voldemort would want to let my mum live," answered Harry quietly.

"How would Dumbledore know what Voldemort said to your mum?" asked Natalie in bewilderment.

"One of his well educated guesses that usually turn out correct," said Harry, his brow furrowing in frustration.

"But isn't it odd?" posed Natalie to the other three. "I mean this man has been so ruthless and wicked for his entire life and, yet he decides to give a woman who is a member of the Order, not to mention that she is a Muggleborn, a chance to live."

Harry frowned at her. "Listen Natalie, it's strange and I sort of ignored that question for a while. It bothers me a lot though – why she would be given a choice makes absolutely no sense. But I think there's obviously something behind it and I feel if we can just figure out how my mum was able to guard me from the Killing Curse, then I think much more things will be explained."

"It is quite remarkable, Harry," acknowledged Hermione. "But getting back – I think this will interest you Harry – all of those cases in which one person's sacrifice saved another person never involved the Killing Curse or even some curse that would lead to death. And I'm pretty certain that if innocent victims were given a choice with some dark curses, then there would be also cases in which a person was given the option to live when confronted with the Killing Curse."

"So there is no basis for what Harry's mum did," stated Natalie slowly.

"No," agreed Hermione. "And even further, all of the books I looked at specifically reiterated that the type of Ancient magical protection they described, which looks quite similar to the protection cast upon Harry, is not prolonged."

"But Dumbledore labeled my mum's protection as Ancient magic, then if he knows about it, there must be some record of someone being protected like I was," said Harry, scratching his head.

Hermione shook her head. "I believe Dumbledore was making a very well educated guess. Remember he wasn't there when Voldemort killed your parents so he has no direct evidence to support his theory. This time, I think he may have been wrong."

"Ooh, we've just proved Dumbledore wrong!" exclaimed Ron dramatically.

Natalie stared at him in exasperated disbelief. "Honestly, how can you make such a pigheaded comment after some of those other pretty intelligent questions?"

"It's called humor, my dear Natalie," responded Ron cuttingly.

Before Natalie could offer her harsh interpretation of Ron's humor, Harry said, "Ok, if Dumbledore is wrong, then what type of magic protected me and why was my mum the only person to be able to change the Killing Curse?"

Natalie considered both of Harry's questions before formulating her most logical and plausible answer. "Well, the books I read contained a lot of information about Ancient magic and your mum's protection definitely does not match the description of ancient magic. Then I see either two possibilities – one, that her protection is a mutated, unique and novel, but obviously exceptionally powerful brand of magic or the second, a special set of circumstances surrounding your parents' deaths changed the Ancient magic associated with your mother's type of sacrifice and protection, providing it with the capabilities to overcome and modify the Killing Curse for a sustained period of time."

"The second possibility seems far more likely," noted Hermione pensively. "I mean there are only three types of magic – Ancient, Dark and Modern magic. The chances of developing a brand of magic, even in a strange situation like your parents' death, are extremely low."

"So Dumbledore wasn't wrong," stated Ron flatly.

"No, just not giving the complete truth. What else is new?" said Harry darkly. The other three glanced anxiously at Harry.

Natalie continued, not taking her concerned eyes off Harry. "Alright, so then we can conclude that there must have been a special set of circumstances surrounding your mum's death that caused the development of this completely unheard of and novel connection and that's probably what Dumbledore thinks."

Harry then frowned again. "But why 'circumstances'?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Arithmancy."

Ron let out an annoyed sigh. "As if I cannot get enough of that subject –"

"But what Natalie's saying makes complete sense," cried Hermione, looking at the other two in disbelief. "One of the fundamental principles of Arithmancy is that all magic is affected to varying degrees by the people who performed the spells and to extend that further, by the context that held these people."

"How were we supposed to know that, Hermione?" asked Ron in amazement. Hermione glared at him in annoyance.

Natalie waved off Ron's exclamation, not wanting to ignite a tedious row. "It doesn't matter, but we've narrowed Harry's protection down to a context rather than just magic."

"So let's just list what is unique about Harry's mother's death," said Hermione, taking out a quill and parchment.

Harry placed his hand over his mouth in silent shock. "The prophecy."

"Yes?" asked Natalie, unsure as to why the prophecy had caused sudden understanding to break upon his face.

"That's the special set of circumstances," said Hermione, her eyes also widening.

"You don't believe us, Natalie?" asked Harry curiously, taking in the skeptical expression on her face.

"How much do you three know about Divination?" posed Natalie, already knowing of Hermione's absolute disdain for the subject.

"A true waste of time," said Hermione scornfully. Both Harry and Ron shrugged their shoulders.

Natalie sighed. "I took it at Durmstrang – I think that course at Durmstrang is much more interesting than the one here. At Durmstrang, they said that prophecies are made all the time and that it's not uncommon for a prophecy to preview a particular relationship between two people – like the one that says you will be the one to vanquish Voldemort, Harry."

"So you're saying that the prophecy does not entirely mean that Harry's situation is that unique," commented Hermione.

"Yes," said Natalie. "See, the prophecy obviously makes the context of the death of Harry's mother different, but there must be other aspects contributing to this uniqueness."

Ron rubbed his eyes tiredly. "You-Know-Who would also make the situation different. I mean he is the most powerful dark wizard in a long while."

Hermione smiled at Ron, causing his ears to tinge a bright red. "Alright, anything else unusual about the circumstances surrounding the night of your parents' death?"

"The fact that Harry's mother is Muggleborn and possibly the reason she was given the chance to live?" offered Natalie.

Hermione nodded. "That reason would certainly be very important."

Natalie continued. "And of course, we must take in all the emotions, relationships, interactions and dynamics of the people involved, this would be principally your mum and Voldemort since I don't think your view of the world was very complex at the age of one, Harry."

Harry slapped his hand viciously on the table. "It then, would be impossible to find out exactly what allowed my mum to protect me," announced Harry sourly. "Because the people who knew her very well are mostly dead or severely impaired," spat Harry.

The dreary and defeated expression that gripped Harry's face unsettled Natalie; she was instantly reminded of her self deprecating state of pure hopelessness after seeing the murderous glint in Bellatrix's eyes. Hermione gazed at Harry worriedly and Ron's eyebrows were raised in surprise.

Natalie held his hand, looking into the green depths that still caused her fingers to tremble slightly. "Listen Harry, there are a lot of "if's" when it comes to your mum's protection. What I'm saying are just guesses – we don't even know whether the special set of circumstances made your mother's protection so strong. But if something like that did operate, there are plenty of people that you probably do not know about that could provide you with information – look at how Dumbledore was able to find out so much about Voldemort."

His lips twitched into a small smile, but to Natalie's displeasure, the hollow and melancholic blankness did not leave his eyes. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's so frustrating to know so little about how my parents died and why Voldemort and I are so connected," said Harry, still in detached, grim manner.

"Can't say I can empathize with you," remarked Ron, his lips curling. For once, Natalie was grateful for his lame attempt to inject humour into the situation.

Harry looked at his friend in astonishment. "Nobody can since I am the _Chosen One_," replied Harry acidly, smiling sneakily at the other three. Natalie could see that the joke was merely a half hearted attempt to mask his sudden somberness during the evening.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So, just to note, we have made absolutely no ground on Horcruxes other than what Ron said. Though I have to say that what we've found about your mum's protection is extremely intriguing and is likely quite important. "

Natalie suddenly smiled in realization. "But, ah Hermione, we have come far, haven't we? Was not Voldemort highly involved in the death of Harry's mother? So then would not the fact that he used these Horcruxes and possibly was trying to make himself immortal add to the uniqueness of the context?"

Hermione snapped her fingers. "Of course, the Horcruxes!"

Natalie shook her head grimly. "But like you said Hermione, there's nothing about Horcruxes in this school. So the only way we are going to find out what they are, is if Harry is able persuade Slughorn to give him that memory."

Harry let his head sink into his hands. "How am I going to do that though? It seems like he has suddenly decided to avoid me at all costs."

"Just use the special Potter charm," said Natalie coyly. "You know, the shy smile, the subtle modesty –"

"In other words mate, she's trying to say: whatever you did to get her, do it to convince him," said Ron.

Natalie slapped his arm. "Can you just be serious for one moment? But Harry, just be yourself – you'll find a way."

Ron lifted himself from his chair. "I, for one, am thoroughly sick of Horcruxes. I think we all need at least some sort of sleep after all these books."

Hermione nodded. "We deserve a rest, but we should just take all these books to our dormitories."

Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I think I'll stay and just go over the books I read to see if I missed anything. Don't worry Hermione, I'll clean up."

Natalie, noticing Harry's rapidly despairing state, exchanged a worried glance with Hermione. "I'll help Harry out. You two, go to sleep."

Ron muttered "Good night," casting a funny glance at Harry before walking up the stairs. Hermione scrutinized Harry carefully with a sad look in her eyes, smiled at Natalie and then exited to the girl's dormitories.

Natalie let her body slide closer to Harry. She saw with a frown that even though he had opened one of the textbooks about the Killing Curse, his eyes remained fixated on one page. Clearly, the Killing curse was not at the forefront of his attention.

She squeezed his arm, causing his eyes to look up towards her in mild surprise. "Listen, Harry," whispered Natalie gently. "I can read you pretty well now and, trust me, I do not think you meant at all to go over the books. I know our discussion about your mother is bothering you."

Harry shook his head. "It's not something I can talk about. It's like you with Bellatrix. Whenever I think about either of my parents, I just cannot control my emotions," said Harry. His voice quivered on the last few words.

Natalie's heart lurched at seeing him in such a vulnerable position. "I see Harry, but I found with Bellatrix that it's better to talk about those types of things than just to bottle all those emotions and let everything simmer and get worse."

Harry let out a small laugh. "Good help talking about Bellatrix was for you – you finally found out what a prat I could be."

Natalie sighed. "I'm serious, Harry. You'll find that a huge burden is released from your shoulders."

Harry glanced wistfully into space. "I don't think that burden will ever be lifted. I mean it's not like my parents will come back from the dead."

"And do you think Bellatrix will stop being my blood mother?" asked Natalie sharply.

Harry looked slightly taken aback at her comment. "No, I didn't mean it that way, Natalie," mumbled Harry apologetically.

"Then what exactly did you mean, Harry?" asked Natalie in a more demanding tone.

Harry closed his eyes. "Well it's just you cannot change things like the fact that my parents are dead and that your mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. You're always living in –"

"The shadows of those events," completed Natalie, beginning to understand what was troubling Harry.

Harry's eyes brightened though he still bore an expression of grim disappointment. "So you do see Natalie? It's like we have no control over our lives."

"Like some fatal aura of inevitability has just trapped us," described Natalie. She was both surprised and almost pleased that her and Harry perceived the same emotional fear and barrier.

"Yeah," said Harry, smiling weakly at her.

But over the past week, Natalie had slowly begun to realize that she and Harry were both wrong. She and Harry's reconciliation as well as Ron and Hermione's renewed friendship had made it increasingly clear to her that a person's interpretation of their circumstances, not the actual situation, shaped despair, loneliness and self deprecation. They could remove that veil of inevitably, carve out a new path and find a level of stability and calmness.

Natalie shook her head at Harry. "But Harry we're wrong."

He glanced at her in puzzlement. "But you just agreed with me?"

Natalie considered him before choosing her words carefully. "I still have that morbid view, but I think I'm starting to see that there is no aura of inevitability. It's very hard to describe, but think about it this way: there's nothing stopping us from just giving up."

"What do you mean 'just giving up'?" asked Harry confusedly.

"Could we just not leave all our problems? You could stop wanting to defeat Voldemort and let him kill you. I could let the same happen to me with Bellatrix. Or on a less dramatic note, after Hermione saw Lavender with Ron, couldn't she have easily decided that she couldn't take any of his pigheadedness any longer and decide to put an end to all her romantic aspirations for him?"

Harry's face tightened in determination. "Yeah, but I'd never turn myself into Voldemort and I know you would never let Bellatrix take you away from Kalissa."

Natalie smiled at him in satisfaction. "Precisely. We don't give up because we do have some control over our lives. How do you think you killed that basilisk in your second year or escaped from Voldemort in that graveyard?"

Harry's eyes widened. To Natalie's pleasure, the helpless look in his eyes dissipated. "I think I get what you're saying. But I still have to accept that my parents and Sirius are all dead."

Natalie nodded grimly. "As do I have to accept that my mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. But –"

"They're not exactly memories or events you can shrug off," said Harry pointedly.

"Well yes," said Natalie, wondering as how she could expose her point of view for Harry.

"So then, what do you mean, I'm wrong? I can't forget about my parents or Sirius," asked Harry.

Suddenly, Natalie realized the ambiguity that seemed the root of Harry's somber and dark attitude tonight. "Harry, do you honestly want to have the memories of your parents' and Sirius' deaths to be completely erased from your mind?"

"Absolutely not," answered an unnerved Harry. "I can't, it would be terrible," breathed Harry. Natalie's heart ached in guilt at realizing the penetrating horror of her question for him. She gently lifted his chin so that she held his gaze.

"Why?" asked Natalie softly.

"Because well, those memories and all of their agony and destruction are a part of who I am," said Harry in realization.

Natalie smiled, hoping with all her strength that he was beginning to escape the morbid mindset that had suffocated her for most of her life. "So you see, Harry, you can't live without knowing about Sirius and your parents."

"Because Voldemort must be punished for what he has done," said Harry fiercely.

Natalie nodded, not letting a big grin break out against her face. "You've subconsciously chosen to keep those memories and let them motivate you."

"Like how you cannot keep Bellatrix out of your mind because you need to make sure she gets all that she deserves for everything she's done to you, your father and Kalissa."

A wave of shock struck Natalie. She stared at Harry in a mixture of bewilderment and wonder. He had inadvertently brought the uncertainty and confusion that had plagued her complete interpretation of Bellatrix into a vision of alarming clarity.

"Natalie, are you all right? Did I say something wrong?" asked Harry, glancing at her worriedly.

Natalie's face broke out in a huge grin. "No, Harry, you just made me realize something very important – actually life changing – about myself. All my life, I've been thinking like how you were tonight – that my mother has placed a permanent curse on me – but all of this dread and worry is really a weak attempt by me to exert some control over her role in my life. Only I've let her humiliate, anger, isolate and terrorize me while not realizing that what I really want is for me to dictate how I see her."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "Not quite sure I'm following you there, Natalie."

Natalie thought carefully so she could better phrase her sudden state of realization. "Voldemort's caused all this grief and pain Harry, but that's not how you see him, is it? Because if you did, you would have let him kill you every time he came at you. I'm basically learning what you're already known since your first year. To put it simply, why do you not let Voldemort kill you after all of the hurt he's cause you?"

"I have to deal with it because succumbing to the pressure is never the answer," said Harry, nodding slowly. The somber grimace on his face had lightened into an almost relieved smile.

Natalie nodded in agreement. Harry continued, the relieved smile growing. "That's how you feel about Bellatrix, isn't it? You never let yourself believe that Bellatrix is going to take you from Kalissa and well, er, I'm never going to let Voldemort destroy all the friends and everything that I have."

Natalie's face broke out into her biggest grin. She could not believe that she could communicate so intricately with another person. She felt overcome by a sensation of completely inspired fulfillment. She threw her arms around Harry's neck kissing him on the cheek.

Harry appeared slightly alarmed at her sudden affection, but he quickly smiled at her. "What have I done now?"

"You are an absolute nutcase Harry Potter!" muttered Natalie into his hair.

"I suppose I should take that as a comment," said Harry jokingly.

"Er, Natalie?" posed Harry, holding her at arms length.

Natalie nodded for him to continue.

"Sorry, I've been so, well, depressed. I think whatever magic my mum used is extremely important and thanks for finding out about it – I really appreciate it," said Harry, wrapping his hands around her and kissing her on the lips. Detecting the pure gratification in Harry's voice caused Natalie's face to flush in pleasure.

"So have you 'cured' my mental problems?" asked Harry, looking at her mischievously. "Or will another course of action be required?"

Natalie returned the cheeky grin. "I think I rather like that other course. By the way, you cured my mental problems as well." She then pressed her lips on his before he could ask her a question, determined to revel in the moment of absolute bliss.

**A/N: How did you like the explanation for Lily's protection? I was not entirely comfortable with the description in canon so I decided to make the change. **


	24. A Visit to Knockturn Alley

Chapter 24- A Visit to Knockturn Alley

A/N: Hello! Sorry for the relatively long update. Thanks to all the reviewers for the last few chapters! And to my sister for editing this long one.

I hope you guys like the change of setting in this chapter.

"Wotcher, Natalie. Name's Tonks," said a familiar pink haired woman pleasantly, holding out her hand to Natalie.

Natalie smiled warmly at her, shaking her hand. She recognized her to be one of the Aurors who was frequently on patrol at Hogwarts, but more notably in Natalie's mind, the woman who accompanied her away from Bellatrix and who Snape saved at Christmas. "Pleasure to meet you as well- at least we can introduce ourselves. Last time, we barely had the chance to say one word to another."

Tonks chuckled. "Not having Death Eaters running up our arses is quite a nice change."

Stretching and looking about the blanket of grey that had enveloped the sky over Hogsmeade, Natalie could not help but frown. "Hope London's weather is not as bad as this."

"At least we're going out. It will be nice to get away from the castle," said Hermione excitedly.

Natalie nodded. She thanked Dumbledore immensely for deciding she, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny needed a break from the castle during the Easter holidays, especially seeing as almost all of the school's population had uncharacteristically gone home for the week. A trip to Diagon Alley would be a refreshing reprieve from the constant studying and unsuccessful searches for the smallest fragment of information about Horcruxes.

"Oh, I wouldn't hope for anything better. Been raining there for the past week and a half," said Tonks absently, gazing gloomily at the sky.

Taking another glance at Tonks, Natalie noticed with a slight startle that her mood seemed to match the weather perfectly. Her hair, though an unusual pink, seemed to be almost receding into a dreary grey, her eyes were shrouded in even darker shadows and her face appeared locked in an strained, apprehensive grimace.

Natalie looked quizzically at Hermione, flicking her eyes over to Tonks. Hermione merely gave a small shrug of the shoulders.

"Shall we go now?" asked Hermione to Tonks.

"Best to wait for a few minutes. Make sure nothing's gone wrong," replied Tonks in the same hollow, emotionless manner.

Dumbledore had decided that they travel to Diagon Alley in small groups to avoid suspicion. She, Hermione and Tonks had walked to a quieter area of Hogsmeade where they would apparate to a spot just outside of the Leaky Cauldron while Ron, Harry and Ginny traveled along the Floo Network with Ron's father and Remus Lupin.

"They should have gone now," continued Hermione, looking slightly anxious. "I saw Professor Lupin walking up to Professor McGonagall'so office about five minutes ago."

"Professor?" asked Natalie in puzzlement.

"Used to teach at the school. Old habit to call him Professor," replied Hermione.

Tonks' head had perked up however. "Remus is coming on this trip?"

"Yes," answered Hermione, her eyebrows raised at the sudden widening of Tonks' eyes. "Why?"

Tonks shook her head. "I was under the impression that he was on assignment." She pronounced 'assignment' as if it was something she profoundly detested and loathed.

Natalie and Hermione exchanged curious glances. "With the werewolves, right?" inquired Hermione tentatively.

Tonks' grimace became even more strained but she gave no acknowledgement of hearing Hermione's question. "You sure you saw him, Hermione?"

"Yes," said Hermione, still studying Tonks.

"Best we apparate. The two of you, hold onto my shoulders." Natalie and Hermione stacked themselves on either side of the miserable looking woman. Tonks spun on the spot and Natalie experienced the uncomfortable, but familiar feeling of being pushed through an extremely cramped space before they landed with an awkward stumble in an alley outside of the Leaky Cauldron.

Following Tonks who glanced around the alley warily, they quickly walked around the corner and entered the Leaky Cauldron. A hunched man, Natalie presumed to be the barkeeper, nodded at them as they quietly strode to the back of the pub and the wall that apparently led to Diagon Alley.

A tingle of excitement ran through Natalie's stomach. She had never been to the world famous Wizarding street, but had heard raving anecdotes from Kalissa, Minerva, Dumbledore, Ron, Harry and Hermione about its vibrant and dynamic atmosphere.

Tonks tapped the stones indifferently in a strange, random pattern that caused the wall to unravel itself and show the street ahead.

Natalie gaped at the sight ahead of her. A mass of excitedly wizards and witches seemed to almost stream and flow across an endlessly winding and twisting street, lined with an assortment of eccentric, disjointed shops, pubs and restaurants. Natalie almost perceived that a portion of Hogwarts' refreshing and vibrant magic had been bottled, taken to this street and unfolded itself in novel patterns and textures. An endless buzz of gleeful chatter, roaring laughter and impatient but delightful footsteps seemed to permeate the entire area. Everyone was either conversing excitedly, rushing to news shops, gazing and crowding windows. Natalie found herself admiring and appreciating the situation, not yet to ready to become part of this rich, exotic mosaic.

"First time to Diagon Alley?" asked Tonks with a hint of a smile.

"Yes. It's absolutely brilliant," breathed Natalie.

Hermione nodded happily. "It's much livelier than it was during the summer – looked more like a funeral back then. There's far more people. Wonder why though?"

"We've had some successful Auror raids recently and there have been no major Death Eater attacks for a while," said Tonks. "I guess that's enough for people to decide to enjoy themselves."

"Oh, there's Remus. I can see the others," pointed Hermione to a familiar brown haired and tired looking man. He waved cheerfully at them.

Tonks' face darkened. "Best meet them," said Tonks grimly.

"What's up with her?" whispered Natalie in Hermione's ea as they made their way to the rest of the group.

"Don't know, but I'm guessing it has something to do with Remus," muttered Hermione.

"Excellent conclusion, Sherlock Holmes," said Natalie sarcastically. "A troll could have told me that."

Once they reached Remus, Bill, Mr. Weasley, Harry, Ron and Ginny, Bill gestured to a very colorful shop near the end of the street. "Mum's waiting for us at the joke shop. We can branch out from there." Tonks nodded, glancing suspiciously around. She, Mr. Weasley and Bill walked ahead, leading everyone to the joke shop. Natalie saw Remus frown at Tonks in disappointment; she had completely ignored his presence.

"So how do you like Diagon Alley?" asked Harry, letting his hand brush Natalie's fingers.

Natalie's insides squirmed in excitement. "It's wonderful. Shame Kal – my mother never took me here. Hell of a lot better than anything at Durmstrang."

Harry chuckled at Natalie's near mistake of pronouncing Kalissa's name. "I remember the first time I came here with Hagrid. Best thing that happened to me," said Harry wistfully.

Natalie turned to Ron who had been walking along with them. "So I guess that joke shop is the world famous 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes'," said Natalie playfully.

Ron grinned at her. "Have you met Fred and George yet?"

"When you were poisoned, they came. Funny, but can be real gits, if you ask me."

"Finally, someone agrees," said Ron, his smile widening.

"Where do you two want to go?" asked Hermione who had been chatting with Ginny in front of them.

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I'd like to see the new version of the Firebolt, but Flourish and Blotts isn't that bad either," he said the last few words, gazing hopefully at Hermione for a positive reaction.

Hermione smiled in amusement. "Ron, I'm pretty certain that you'd much rather be looking at the Firebolt. Natalie and I want to buy some new Arithmancy and Ancient Runes books from Flourish and Blotts. Ginny wants to see the Firebolt too and I'm guessing Harry isn't too keen on getting any books either."

Ron raised his hands in disbelief. "Bloody Arithmancy! I still do not understand what's so absolutely wonderful about that subject."

"Do you we have to explain to you again about the subtle and beautiful intricacies of such subject?" asked Natalie airily.

Ron shook his head violently. "Bloody hell no, not again."

"I rather liked the subject when I was at school," remarked Remus, walking alongside them. Upon seeing the warm twinkle in his eyes and smile and remembering her pleasant encounter with him in Snape's dungeon, Natalie could not help but wonder as to why Tonks seemed so disgruntled with the man.

Natalie returned Remus' warm smile. "Well there's a huge variety of things you can do with the subject. Basically anything at Gringotts, curse breaker, teacher at Hogwarts –"

" I know – my brother's a curse breaker," said Ron in annoyance.

"Don't interrupt her," chided Harry.

Ron raised his eyebrows at Harry. "I know you're just as irritated with this waffle as I am."

Harry shrugged his shoulders, causing Natalie to playfully shove him. "Being my boyfriend, he should take an interest in what I like."

Remus chuckled. "Natalie, you should know quite a lot about the subject – Kalissa Malkae is one of the world's greatest experts. She actually taught Lily and myself."

"There are a few books in the library written by her," added Hermione in admiration.

"Your mother used to be a professor at Hogwarts?" asked Ron in surprise.

Natalie nodded. "She and McGonagall started teaching at the same time, but, er, my mother left after the end of the first war. She remembers Harry's parents, Sirius and Remus pretty well."

"Not too many fond memories of James and Sirius, I imagine she has," said Remus with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Why? What happened?" asked Natalie, curious about what the famed Marauders had done to irk Kalissa.

Remus smiled. "When we were in sixth year, they hid a boggart in a cupboard in your mother's classroom. When it was time for the third years' class, they used James' invisibility cloak to sneak into the classroom and let out the boggart. As you imagine, since most third years do not know how to handle the creature, it gave them quite a fright."

Ron and Ginny burst out in laughter while Harry gave a slight smile. "That's horrible," breathed Hermione in shock. Natalie had to admit that the prank was rather condescending and highly immature for sixteen year olds.

Remus laughed with the same wistful smile and faraway look that she sometimes saw in Harry when he reminisced about either Sirius or his parents to her. "That was James and Sirius for you. As long as they didn't kill anyone, they didn't give a damn about what they did."

"I don't imagine you were entirely innocent either," said Ginny, turning her head to smirk at him.

Remus shook his head. "Well they needed somebody to distract Kalissa from the class so that in, er, Sirius' words, there was enough time the 'little midgets could wet their pants'."

Harry, Ron and Ginny roared in laughter while Hermione frowned and Natalie merely rolled her eyes.

"So what did my mother do to them?"

Remus' eyes sparkled. "Oh, she was absolutely livid. When she caught them, I thought for a moment that she might just use some horrible severe curse on them – your mother, when she's angry –"

"She's a force to be reckoned with," finished Natalie, remembering all too well the few instances in which she had managed to ignite Kalissa's temper.

Remus nodded. "It was the only time at Hogwarts that I saw Sirius actually scared."

"So what punishment did they receive?" asked Hermione.

"For two weeks, they had to sleep in a small room outside her office – no beds, just sleeping bags and were not allowed to enter Gryffindor tower at all. For those two weeks, I still don't know what Kalissa did, but she somehow set a spell on them so that outside of classes, they could not perform magic. Each day of the two weeks, she had them clean a teacher's office and classroom. Without any magic, all the cleaning had to be performed the Muggle way."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "That is brutal. Even at Durmstrang, she didn't perform that spell."

Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron were staring at Natalie in astonishment. "You can do that – take somebody's magic away like that?" asked Hermione with a slightly apprehensive look.

"You know how it works?" asked Ron eagerly. "Not that I would ever think of using it on anybody," he quickly added after seeing the stern look of disapproval that appeared on Hermione's face. However, Natalie could almost see Malfoy's face flash in his mind.

"I could never figure out how Kalissa did that," said Remus pensively.

Natalie nodded. "The spell can only be performed on underage wizards. I do not know the full theory behind the spell, but it essentially manipulates and controls the magic detectors within Hogwarts that keep track of underage wizards to set, er, certain conditions like those imposed upon Harry's father and Sirius."

"There are magic detectors within Hogwarts?" asked Ginny, looking at Natalie. Natalie could not help but experience a twinge of relief at seeing that Ginny's cold disdain for her had slowly dissipated ever since Ron's poisoning. She supposed the near death had brought about a fresh change of perspective for the girl.

Hermione sighed. "Of course there are magic detectors at Hogwarts. It's described thoroughly in –"

"Hogwarts a History," said Ron, perfectly mimicking Hermione's voice causing the others to laugh.

Hermione shot him a venomous glare. "Continuing, the detectors are designed by the current Headmaster. They alert the Headmaster if any Dark magic, like the Unforgivable curses, have been used." Hermione cast an admiring glance in Natalie's direction. "Since those magic detectors were set by Albus Dumbledore, it would take extraordinary magical talent and power to control them."

"But I don't imagine Dumbledore was too pleased with her," said Natalie, chuckling at Kalissa's rebellious nature.

"Oddly, all of the teachers found it quite funny. It's the only time that I've seen all the teachers happy about the same thing. Shows you just how much of a nuisance James and Sirius were," said Remus, shaking his head in disbelief.

Harry scratched his head thoughtfully. "That makes a lot of sense actually."

Natalie rolled her eyes at him. "You know Harry, I think Dumbledore's having too much of an influence on you. You're starting to talk in riddles like him"

Remus looked inquisitively at Harry. "What makes sense?" The others were glancing at Harry curiously.

Harry glanced around them before saying a hushed voice, "Well, the magic detectors only detect underage magic right. That's why Voldemort never tried anything before he turned seventeen in his sixth year at Hogwarts – he probably read Hogwarts a History and was already pretty wary of Dumbledore."

Ron shook his head at Harry in exaggerated annoyance. "I tell you Harry, you're thinking way too much about him."

Remus looked at Harry worriedly. "You weren't thinking about him all this time, were you Harry?"

"Of course not," replied Harry irritably. "It just came to my mind when Natalie said the detectors work on underage magic."

"Here we are," said Hermione pointing to the highly eccentric, disjointed and colorful building labelled Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in front of them. Along with the stream of excited voices and footsteps within the store, Natalie could hear an assortment of unusual cracks, sharp noises, abrupt bangs and annoying buzzes. Smoke in various colors also billowed out of one of the upper windows, giving the impression that they were entering a rather exotic area.

"Your brothers do like to stand out, Ron," said Natalie, noting that the shop far exceeded the abnormal, comical aura associated with a typical joke shop.

"Stand out's a rather mild understatement," said Bill laughing.

As they walked in, a mass of people seemed to envelop them; Natalie felt herself physically separated from Harry and Hermione.

"The place is far too busy for my liking," whispered Tonks worriedly behind them.

Natalie had to agree. She could not stretch her arms without touching another person; people constantly moved and shuttled against one another as they looked and pointed to the store's immense collection. Fortunately, almost no one had noticed the entrance of Harry; Natalie suspected that if the store had been slightly less busy, Harry's presence could not have been so subtle.

The group navigated their way through the expanding mass of people to the back of the store where a very anxious and tense Mrs. Weasley awaited.

"Hello," said Mrs. Weasley brightly to all of them. "Nothing went wrong I hope," she said, her eyes momentarily flickering over Harry. Natalie felt her gaze also linger rather uncomfortably on her. She remembered too vividly Mrs. Weasley's cool, appraising stare after Ron's poisoning.

"No, Molly. Everything went rather well. I don't think anyone actually noticed us. My, my, the place is doing quite well," said Remus cheerfully.

A small smile played itself onto Mrs. Weasley's futures. "I never thought much of Fred and George's hooligan experiments, but I have to admit they have really outdone themselves." Detecting the strong undercurrent of protective and affectionate pride in her voice, Natalie could not help but feel sadly reminded of Kalissa.

"Speaking of those two, where are they?" asked Ron, looking around.

"Little brother, were you missing us?" cooed one of the twins, suddenly appearing behind Ron, slapping him on the back. "

"Bugger off!" muttered Ron, shoving him away, earning a vicious glare from Mrs. Weasley.

Natalie glanced around to find the other twin before feeling an arm wrap itself around her and Harry.

"Oh my dear Fred! Looks like the famous Harry Potter has decided to grace our store with none other than his girlfriend," squealed the other twin, who Natalie presumed to be George, in a mockingly high tone.

Both Natalie and Harry struggled to pull themselves out of George's rather strong grasp while Remus, Bill and Mr. Weasley laughed. Tonks and Hermione shook their heads in bewilderment. Natalie saw Ginny, out of the corner of her eye, stiffen. Mrs. Weasley turned a bright shade of red, her eyes narrowing slightly at Natalie causing her to inwardly cringe in apprehension.

"Fred! George! Stop that this instance. You two are adults now for heaven's sake," exclaimed Mrs. Weasley irately.

"Yes, dearest mother," replied the twins in unison. Natalie sensed that this was likely not the wisest response. If possible, Mrs. Weasley's face had become even redder.

Before Mrs. Weasley could admonish the twins any further, Mr. Weasley said, "Okay, I think, splitting in groups will be the best way for us to get around." He looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Remember that all of you kids need either Molly, myself, Remus, Tonks or Bill to come with you wherever you go." Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Natalie gave non-committal nods.

"Let's look around this store before we branch out," suggested Bill, gazing around fondly.

The others nodded in agreement but before they could explore the shop, Mrs. Weasley stopped them with a stern expression on her face. "Stay within the store and if you decide to go around Diagon Alley, tell one of us," said Mrs. Weasley, also looking directly at Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Natalie walked alongside with Hermione through the crowded isles and around the many shelves that seemed to collect masses of people. As she gaped at the huge assortment of pranking devices and instruments, Natalie marveled at the twins' ingenuity.

"Love potions, Hermione? You do realize that Ron already fancies you," asked Natalie slyly, noticing Hermione staring at the shop's collection of love potions.

Hermione shook her head, a pink blush suddenly filling her face. "These love potions almost got their brother killed. You think they would at least learn from that," said Hermione, her voice rising in anger.

"They're obviously selling well," countered Natalie, gesturing to the empty shelves in the section labeled 'Love potions.'

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "And you know the reason why, with people like Romilda Vane in Hogwarts."

Natalie gritted her teeth at the thought that girl had been trying most of the year to plaster her face onto Harry. "I'm not saying I agree with selling love potions. Not to offend the twins, but selling love potions to underage witches and wizards is completely inappropriate and wrong – there are so many things that could happen and of course, if Romilda Vane had not been able to buy that love potion, then Ron likely would not have been lying unconscious in the hospital wing."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Exactly my point – they should realize when they've crossed the line."

Natalie considered Hermione's statement. "It would be hard for them to see that line though, wouldn't it? I mean designing all of these ways to prank people seems to be like second nature for them."

Hermione frowned. "I suppose you're right. I'm not saying that I don't like the joke shop because some of these devices are really quite fascinating in terms of the level of magic used to build them. I mean most adult witches and wizards couldn't do half the magic required to make some of these things."

Natalie shook her head in astonishment. "Not only the magic. I wouldn't be able to think of all the uses for these things."

Hermione laughed. "As a prefect, I feel obliged to say that there should be no uses for such objects."

"Oh look, here comes the reason for these empty shelves," remarked Natalie darkly, pointing to a group of squelish teenage girls, Natalie estimated to be in their second or third year.

Hermione scowled. "I feel like vanishing these love potions."

Natalie pretended to console Hermione. "It's not like any of those girls will want to woo our dear Ron."

"But definitely Harry," stated Hermione.

Natalie suddenly gripped her wand, wondering whether she could scare off the girls. It was now Hermione's turn to placate Natalie. "I think Harry's protected enough, Natalie."

"Let's go," said Hermione, pulling Natalie who had began glaring at the approaching group of girls.

As they reached the next isle, they found an irritated Tonks talking to a concerned Mrs. Weasley.

"Molly, I'm fine. I've just been needing some time," said Tonks in exasperation, trying to wave off .

Mrs. Weasley's disapproved expression did not waver. "You look much thinner than the last time I saw you and I can't see any reason that you look better."

Before Tonks could mutter another tired response, Natalie felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind to see Remus, gazing at Tonks with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Molly, sorry to interrupt your conversation. But Tonks, I was thinking about taking Natalie and Hermione to Flourish and Blotts. I remember, you saying you needed a book as well. Mind coming?"

Natalie almost laughed at the completely baffled look on Tonks' face; she had never remembered Remus and Tonks talking on their way to the shop.

Mrs. Weasley seemed slightly flustered upon realizing three people had been listening to their conversation. "Oh, hello Remus." She then gave a bright smile. "Why, of course, Tonks can go with you."

An indignant expression crossed Tonks' face. Natalie supposed she did not enjoy Mrs. Weasley treating her like a child that needed to be told where to go.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes then focused upon Natalie. "Oh, hello Natalie. I suppose you are going with them too?" Her voice was devoid of any of the tense, fussy concern that she had displayed for Tonks but instead, contained an unnervingly hollow, forced cordiality.

Natalie shifted nervously under Mrs. Weasley's frosty glare. The woman emanated a demanding, expectant aura that softly, but nevertheless tightly, wound itself around Natalie, spontaneously producing a pulsating surge of fear and anxiety that Natalie never knew resided within her. Both Remus and Hermione gazed at Mrs. Weasley in slightly appalled silence.

Tonks frowned at Natalie. "I think I will go with them, Molly," stated Tonks firmly. Natalie could tell that she was quite surprised with Mrs. Weasley's coldness.

Mrs. Weasley turned her head from Natalie, taking in the determined Tonks. "Very well, then. I'll go find Arthur and the boys. I do want to talk to you, Nymphadora," said Mrs. Weasley, the concerned expression returning to her face.

"Let's go," announced Tonks to Remus, not bothering to see his answer.

He nodded, not before receiving a significant look from Mrs. Weasley and followed Tonks out of the store. Hermione nudged Natalie gently, awakening Natalie from her frozen position under Mrs. Weasley's gaze. As she left with Hermione, Natalie shook her head in fury. She had done nothing to irk Mrs. Weasley, but yet she could not stop the guilt and worry from rising within her.

Once they exited the store, Tonks, who had been waiting for them, smiled grimly at Natalie. "I guess Molly hasn't taken to you yet."

Natalie nodded somberly. "She was like that in the hospital wing when I first met her. I don't think she has a very positive image of me after my duel with Ginny in the common room at the beginning of the year."

They begun walking further along the street to Flourish and Blotts. Tonks chuckled. "I heard about that duel – from what Minerva said, you weren't the one to blame, but I have to applaud you. Ginny has one hell of a Bat Bogey Hex and to beat her in a duel is pretty impressive."

Hermione scowled. "It still wasn't an appropriate thing to do."

Natalie jokingly placed a reassuring hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I know Prefect Granger."

Remus laughed. "Hermione reminds me of a younger version of myself." He then added more seriously, "It's not like Molly to bear grudges though."

Hermione frowned. "And Mrs. Weasley should know that what happened to Ginny was mostly Ginny's fault. She started the whole thing."

Tonks shook her head. "You don't know Molly like I do. She never forgets when you hurt one of her children. After I broke up with Charlie, she used that same suspicious, cold tone she used with you, Natalie. Only warmed up to me again after I joined the Order."

"How long was that?" asked Natalie, not wanting the answer.

"About four and a half years," stated Tonks.

"Oh." Natalie wondered whether she would be able to bear any of those cool, uninviting glares from Mrs. Weasley for that long.

Hermione suddenly held Natalie's arm. Remus looked around. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Hermione innocently. "Natalie and myself just want to enjoy the atmosphere – everybody's always not this ebullient. We'll follow you two."

Remus shot the two of them a funny glance before continuing with Tonks. Natalie saw him say something to Tonks who appeared not to hear him.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at Hermione who merely shrugged her shoulders. "There's obvious something going on between them. We could give them some space to talk."

Natalie smirked. "Didn't know you'd become a matchmaker, Hermione."

"I'm not saying they're, er, romantically inclined. Maybe it's just a problem with their friendship," protested Hermione.

"Like the problems you and Ron had," quipped Natalie.

"Whatever. You know what I mean," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

The sun suddenly pushed its way through the grey blanket of clouds, infusing the street with a bright, refreshing glow. Natalie let out a delighted breath, tilting her head to sky to let the sunlight wash over her hair.

Hermione smiled. "Finally, some sun! The English winters do get depressing at times."

Natalie nodded, noting that the biting, stinging cold of winter had become replaced by a light, carefree wind that hovered over the street, rustling impatiently through all the people like an overexcited child. Still as Natalie glanced around, the optimistic transition to the warm, refreshing nourishment of spring did not entirely match the mood of the wizards and witches in Diagon Alley. Underlying the persistently excited chatter and gesturing, a subtle yet definite sense of unease lingered, creeping into the wary glances of men at the Aurors, the tight way in which mothers clung to their children and the fearful, almost panicked looks cast at the posters of "Wanted Death Eaters." Natalie realized, however, that everybody was attempting to resist the unease, preventing it from morphing into frightening agitation and fear; no one rushed from shop to shop, conversations did not quickly end and laughter had not faded at all. With an uplifting wave of determination, Natalie recognized that the Wizarding world would not unravel easily under Lord Voldemort's ruthless gaze.

"Dreaming?" asked a smirking Hermione, seeing how contemplative Natalie had become.

Natalie blinked to awaken herself from her momentarily absorption into the scene around her. "Yes, but not about Harry. People really are fighting, aren't they Hermione? I mean with Voldemort's rise, you'd think the street shouldn't be so loud and vibrant."

Hermione smiled in understanding. "I'm so glad for the change in atmosphere. We need to show him that not everybody will fall to his feet."

"Here we are," said Natalie, gesturing to the door of Flourish and Blotts in front of them.

Remus and Tonks stood to the side of the busy entrance to store, waiting for them. Looking at the cool, emotionless expression on Tonks' face and Remus' slight grimace, Natalie gathered that the conversation between the two had not improved.

"You two wanted to get Arithmany and Ancient Runes books?" asked Remus, looking at Natalie and Hermione.

"Yes," said Hermione. "That second floor where that section is looks to be relatively empty. You two can still check upon us from below."

Remus nodded. "Yeah, we'll just look around. There's bound to be a book that catches my interest."

Natalie chuckled. She and Hermione navigated their way through the crowd of people at the entrance and climbed up the stairs.

"They don't look to have become friendlier," muttered Natalie to Tonks.

Hermione frowned. "Tonks is never this –"

"Angry," completed Natalie, but she stopped frozen in her tracks at the sight before her. One of the shelves in front of them had a "WANTED" Death Eater poster of Bellatrix Lestrange. Natalie took a sharp intake of breath. The familiar penetrating, corrosive dread attacked her stomach. She waited for the inevitable cloud of despair and hopelessness to surround and entrench her, but surprisingly, the suffocating and strangling doom never came. Instead, even though her heart had begun slamming violently against her chest, she still experienced an underlying but distinctly new hollow, calm feeling as if a small gap now existed between her mother's image and her mind.

Hermione had now caught sight of the poster. She gasped. "Oh. I'm sorry Natalie."

Natalie smiled in relief. "Surprisingly, the poster does not bother me as much."

Hermione wrapped her hands around Natalie's shoulders. "That's a good change, I suppose?"

Natalie was trying to explain why she had suddenly become impervious to the sight of her mother's leering face. Then, as the image of two deep, powerful green eyes filled her mind, Natalie remembered her conversation with Harry the last weekend. He had somehow, in his own clumsy, shy but undeniably adorable way, provided her with a clear sense of control. With a sensation of overwhelmingly joy, Natalie realized that the control had managed to prevent the disgustable picture of her mother from invading her mind.

Natalie grinned. "Wow! Harry is amazing!"

"I'm not sure how that has to do with Bellatrix," said Hermione with a perplexed expression on her face.

Natalie smiled at Hermione. "Being with Harry has just helped me – you know, improved my outlook on life."

Hermione stared at her in a combination of amusement and bewilderment. "You know, you really are a lovesick puppy."

"Oh, go to hell," said Natalie annoyingly. "Let's just go get those books."

"Alright, but I am happy for you Natalie. It must be extremely gratifying to finally not have her bother you as much," said Hermione thoughtfully.

Natalie nodded. "Like a great burden is coming off my shoulders, but I still know it's there."

As they searched for their books, Hermione turned to Natalie with a curious expression on her face. "You do know who Tonks'mother is, Natalie?"

Natalie looked at her in confusion. "No. Why should I know?"

Hermione sighed, smiling slightly at Natalie. "Harry never told you? Tonks' mother, Andromeda Black, is Bellatrix's sister."

Natalie, in her shock, dropped the book she was carrying. She gaped at Hermione. "Serious?"

"Why would I joke?"

Natalie let out a breath she did not know she was holding. "That's well amazing. So we're –"

"Cousins," finished Hermione, her grin now spread across her face from ear to ear..

A wave of euphoria coursed through Natalie. The thought of directly related family who were not utter lunatics or pureblood lovers was extremely comforting. "That's not bad."

Hermione nodded. "Pretty nice to know that she's your cousin, but of course, you know, who else is your cousin?"

Natalie nodded. "Harry told me before. Bellatrix's other sister is Narcissa Malfoy. I honestly felt bile rising up my throat when I realized that Malfoy and I are related."

"Trust me, you're definitely not like him, though you and Tonks do seem to have that famous 'Black' temper. Sirius had it too."

Natalie laughed. "I think it's more notorious than famous. But don't mess with us Blacks – we don't tolerate any nonsense."

Hermione smirked. "Mind you, Harry's temper is something to behold as well."

Natalie grinned. "I know. Maybe that's why we get along so well."

Natalie and Hermione did not take long to retrieve the Arithmancy and Ancient Runes book they had wanted. They walked main level and perused through all the people, looking for Remus and Tonks. They came to an empty isle near the back of the store where Natalie heard Remus' angry voice.

"What do you want me to do, Nymphadora? I was on Dumbledore's orders."

"Bloody hell, Remus. How many times do I have to tell you to not say my name?" exclaimed Tonks furiously. Natalie and Hermione exchanged a worried glance. Fortunately, neither Tonks nor Remus could see them behind the bookshelf. "I'm not thick, Remus. I know you were on Dumbledore's orders, but I'm pretty certain that he didn't tell you to sever all contact with me."

"I'm sorry, Nym – Tonks," said Remus in a much softer tone. "I didn't want to place you in any danger from the rest of the wolves in the pack."

"What if I had been killed by a Death Eater?"

Remus gave a great shudder. "I'm sorry, Tonks. I was being an idiot, but every night with the pack, I thought about you."

"You have a funny way of being worried, _Lupin_," spat Tonks venomously.

"From what I remember of our last conversation, you weren't too concerned about me spending four months with werewolves either," said Remus icily.

"How dare you say that!" shrieked Tonks. "Every single bloody day, I wondered whether Greyback had finally found out who you were. Do you know how many times I asked Dumbledore for even the smallest sign that you were alive?"

There was a slight pause before Remus spoke, his voice laced with warmth and compassion. "Tonks, I was extremely stupid. You must not think that I did not value our relationship – I truly cared for you. I wanted to protect you by keeping you away as possible from my life as a werewolf."

"It's going to take a hell of a lot to keep me away, Remus," snarled Tonks.

Natalie could hear Remus sigh. "I know you're not going away and I'm not lying when I say I'm relieved, but Tonks, even though I'm not with the pack anymore, I'm a werewolf. You know how everybody –"

"I don't care! How many times do I have to tell you that? I want you Remus."

Natalie, deciding that she and Hermione had intruded for far too long, silently pulled Hermione away from the bickering couple.

"I don't think we should have been eavesdropped like that," said Natalie quietly once they had moved a few isles away from Remus and Tonks.

A guilty expression formed on Hermione's face. "Yes. What's between them is none of our business, but I suppose you were right about them, Natalie."

Natalie nodded. "They make a strange match, I say."

Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. "I would have, er, never though of them in that sense. He's just so much older but I guess –"

"Any two people can fall in love," stated Natalie firmly.

Hermione nodded sadly. "I just hope Remus has not alienated her to the point where they cannot recover."

"It must be difficult for him, being a werewolf and well an outcast. She clearly doesn't give a damn though, so hopefully he can realize that sooner rather than later," said Natalie pensively.

"I hope so. Can lyncathropy be, er, sexually transmitted?" asked Hermione awkwardly.

"No. Kalissa, er, used to have a werewolf as a boyfriend and well I'm pretty sure, you know, they spent their nights together. And I'm pretty sure she's not a werewolf," said Natalie, becoming increasingly red in the face.

"Oh," said Hermione, rather shocked.

Natalie grinned. "Sorry I had to bring up that rather disgusting piece of information."

Hermione chuckled. "And I'm pretty certain that lyncathropy cannot be passed onto, er, children."

"It's not a genetic trait. You get it from a bite, not from inheritance," said Natalie, remembering her brief interest, a few years ago, in wizard genetics.

Hermione nodded in relief. "That's what I thought so the only thing holding Remus back–"

"Is his own self deprecation. A familiar problem," noted Natalie somberly.

A brief silence stretched between the two of them as they both contemplated the romantic turmoil they had witnessed. Natalie was unpleasantly reminded of her rather vicious fights with Harry and she had no doubt that Hermione's mind had leapt to Ron.

"Shall we pay for our books and, er, wait for them by the entrance?" posed Hermione, looking warily at the isle that Remus and Tonks had occupied.

"That seems like a good idea. Give them some space. Do you think we should cast a silencing charm or even something like Muffliato so that we're their only eavesdroppers?"

Hermione scowled at the mention of one of the Half Blood Prince's spells. "I don't like using that spell, but I suppose they deserve at least some privacy," said Hermione reluctantly.

Natalie nodded. She quietly walked to the bookshelf adjacent to Tonks and Remus and silently cast the 'Muffliato' spell.

After they had purchased their books, Natalie and Hermione waited another five minutes at the entrance to Flourish and Blotts before Remus emerged, a frustrated expression on his face.

"Where's Tonks?" asked Hermione hesitantly.

"One of the Aurors in the store wanted to talk to her," muttered Remus, clenching his fists.

"Shall I wait?" posed Natalie.

Remus sighed. "No, she said she'd meet us at the twins' store." He then managed to muster a very forced smile. "So I suppose you two enjoyed Flourish and Blotts' extensive Arithmancy section."

Natalie could not find any humour in the comment. "They have more books than Hogwarts," said Natalie, smiling weakly.

Remus' eyes suddenly widened at a grey haired man behind Hermione. "Williams! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Remus.

The grey haired man turned to look at Remus curiously. "I'm on patrol today, Remus."

Remus shook his head frantically. "Where's Tonks?"

Natalie and Hermione shared a panicked glance. Something was definitely very wrong.

A puzzled expression flickered over Williams' face. "She's off duty today, I think. Why, Remus?"

"Let me know if you see her," said Remus before quickly walking further down the street.

Williams gave a slow, confused nod as he continued to walk in the opposite direction.

Natalie and Hermione immediately followed Remus. After finally catching up to him, Hermione grabbed his shoulder, saying breathlessly, "What's wrong Remus? Where are you going?"

Remus pulled away hastily from Hermione. "Listen you two, go back to the twins' store and I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

"If something's wrong with Tonks, we want to help," said Natalie, a resolved gaze on her face.

An exasperated sigh spread itself across Remus' face. He closed his eyes, breathing heavily. "Okay, follow me at a distance and if anything happens, I want you to two to run as fast as you can and alert the nearest Auror. If I'm right, we don't have much time."

He then abruptly turned on his heel, walking at a furious pace in the direction of a back alley at the corner of Diagon Alley. 

As they walked quickly behind him, Hermione's eyes widened. "He's going into Knockturn Alley."

"What's that?" asked Natalie, her senses suddenly extremely alert.

"Central place for Death Eaters," whispered Hermione tensely.

"You don't think they would have taken her away already?" muttered Natalie.

"I just hope that she wasn't taken at all," said Hermione unconvincingly, quickening her pace to a half jog. The crowd thinned as they approached Knockturn Alley.

Once they entered Knockturn Alley, the slight sense of unease Natalie detected within Diagon Alley amplified tenfold. She could almost feel the Dark Magic saturating the air around her. Few people walked along the streets, all with hooded cloaks and none looking like the relaxed, happy shoppers she had seen on the adjacent street. With a sinking feeling of realization, Natalie realized that they had just left behind the insulated, closed feeling of safety within Hogwarts and Diagon Alley

They saw Remus turn a corner and enter a shaded, dark shop labeled "Kockey's Unwanted and Misfit Magical Artifacts". Before the door could close, Natalie quickly slid her finger between the door and the adjacent wall, holding it open. She and Hermione slipped into the shop, immediately crouching behind a shelf of rather foul smelling dead reptiles. Thankfully, the detection charms on the door did not distinguish between them and Remus. Both of them gaped at what they saw between the spaces within the shelves.

Remus had his wand pointed at a haggard, bearded man who had an arm curled tightly around Tonks' throat. His other wand lay pointed at Remus. Beside the bearded man lay an unconscious body, a pool of blood surrounding the head. Natalie closed her eyes, not wanting to believe the possibility of murder. Besides her, Hermione's body remained rigid in shock, staring at the blood.

"Let her go, Rabastan. The Aurors will be coming soon," demanded Remus. "They're bound to know what you've done to Kingston."

Hermione let out a small gasp. Natalie knew exactly who this man was; her mother's brother in law.

Rabastan's face twisted into a malevolent sneer. "And not let me have my fun with my brother's niece. Not that you haven't been having much fun with her, _Lupin._"

"Just kill him, Remus," croaked Tonks. Rabastan shoved her violently against the table, causing her to grimace in pain.

"Let her go and you can walk away – no arrest, nothing," said Remus, his voice quivering on the last word as he watched Tonks manhandled.

Two other men entered from a backdoor, their wands pointing directly at Remus.

"Looks like today is a lucky day for us, fellows. The werewolf and his slag have come to join the party," snarled one of the other men in a raspy voice.

The other two laughed cruelly. "Put the wand down Lupin and I promise I won't make her death too torturous for you," hissed Rabastan.

"You sick son of bitches!" cried Tonks. Rabastan elbowed Tonks in the face, cracking her nose.

"Rabastan, I promise you – I'll make sure the Aurors don't get you and your friends. Just let her go," pleaded Remus, his back shaking.

Rabastan fingered Tonks' face suggestively. "You do look like Alice Longbottom, my dear Nymphadora," said Rabastan delightedly. "I have to admit I can't resist the temptation."

Natalie clenched her fists. They truly were absolutely deplorable individuals. Looking at Hermione, who had an equally furious expression on her face, Natalie gestured to the left hand man. Hermione nodded at the right hand man. Natalie just hoped that Remus and Tonks reacted quicker than Rabastan.

Natalie crept to the side of the shelf they were hiding behind. Her stomach had twisted itself into severe knots of anxiety and her knees could not stop from trembling. Natalie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and focus on the hex she wanted to cast. She waved her wand in a careful figure eight motion at the man to the left of Tonks and Rabastan, placing all of her concentration on _Aeronaugio_ and visualizing a jet of air launched at the man.

To Natalie's satisfaction, a mass of air streamed out her wand, cutting its away silently across the narrow opening between the isles, accelerating rapidly. The shot of air struck the left hand man squarely in the chest. He let out a surprised groan as he was thrown across the room, slamming into the back wall with a resounding thud. Simultaneously, a jet of red light shot from Hermione's wand. However, the man to the right of Rabastan, seeing the oncoming flash of red, managed to barely dodge the spell.

As the left hand man crashed into the wall, Natalie saw Rabastan's grip on Tonks loosen. He screamed furiously, "Avery! What the –"

Tonks took advantage of the brief second distraction, driving her knee into Rabastan's groin area.

"You bloody whore! Duckwood, get her!" howled Rabastan in pain as he slid backwards from her.

Remus immediately raised his wand at Rabastan and the man flew into the table behind him, breaking it into pieces.

Duckwood, who had barely leapt out of the way of Hermione's spell, sent a jet of blue light rocketing towards Tonks.

Remus dove with surprising agility, sending him and Tonks both toppling into a nearby shelf. The blue light barely missed the top of Remus' head, incinerating the cashier's counter.

Hermione pointed her wand at Duckwood. "_Impedimenta!"_

He easily deflected the curse, sneering at her. "Granger, isn't it? I thought Dolohov taught you not to play with us, you filthy Mudblood!" Natalie's stomach gave a sickening lurch as a stream of green light came hurtling towards Hermione. Hermione ducked behind another shelf as the green light soared over head, destroying the portraits behind her.

To Natalie's dismay, Rabastan had lifted himself from behind the broken table. Before he could aim a spell at Tonks and Remus, Natalie emerged from her hiding place, firing a stunning spell at him.

Rabastan neatly sidestepped the jet of red light. He sneered at her. "Oh, hello, little Malkae. Long time, no see." A whizzing flash of yellow light throttled towards Natalie, who quickly leapt out of the way, sending another _Aeronaugio _that just missed the leering Death Eater.

From the corner of her eyes, Natalie could see Hermione and Duckwood exchanging hexes, none hitting their targets but destroying the entire store.

Suddenly Remus stood up. Natalie saw that he had managed to hide Tonks behind a box next to one of the shelves they had crashed. He pointed his wand at Rabastan, shouting, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

The resulting jet of green light missed the surprised Rabastan by inches. Rabastan's lips curled into a malicious smile. "Oh, I see, want to play dirty, Lupin? _Crucio!_"

Remus hissed, "_Protego!"_ He and Rabastan began firing Unforgivable curses and hexes at lighting speed towards one another.

Seeing the two Death Eaters holding their ground quite firmly, Natalie remembered one of Kalissa's first and most important lessons about dueling, "_the most dangerous spell is a distraction_."

Summoning confidence from her memories of the Death Eaters' Christmas attack, she waved her wand in a long, complicated sweeping motion, vividly imagining a wave of water thundering through the store. Feeling the magic rise pulse through her body and into her wand, Natalie saw with a surge of relief as a huge wave of water rolled tumultuously through the store, completely shocking both Death Eaters as well as Remus and Hermione.

"What the bloody hell was that?" shrieked an utterly wet Duckwood, looking frantically at Rabastan.

Natalie used the brief moment of surprise to fire a stunning spell that struck Duckwood squarely in the chest, throwing him into a large shelf toward the side of the store.

As Rabastan turned his wand upon Natalie, Hermione, who had also realized the plan, banished one of the shelves from behind Rabastan directly into him, throwing him across the floor and knocking his wand out of his hand.

He screamed in pain, a huge cut spread across his head. "Why! You bloody Mudblood!" Jets of red light from all three of them engulfed Rabastan. After the enveloping stream of red light partially dissipated, Natalie's shoulders sagged in relief at seeing the man lying unconscious within a gaping hole in the wall.

Remus swept his wand over the three Death Eaters. Ropes appeared out of thin air, binding the three. He then cast drying spells on all of them and the store. Natalie and Hermione helped to vanish the water.

Remus shook his head at them. "I thought I told you two to stay back."

"What did you expect us to do? Leave you to deal with three Death Eaters," replied Natalie fiercely.

Remus smiled grimly, holding his hands defensively. "I have to admit you two did very well. I don't know what I'm going to tell Molly though." He walked quickly to the box he had hid Tonks behind, lifting her.

With a pang of surprise, Natalie saw that Tonks, though visibly shaken, was still conscious. Blood poured from her nose. Her face had become extremely pale as she clung to Remus' side.

"You two were great. Would make any Auror proud," croaked Tonks, trying to smile at the two of them.

Remus, with a wave of his wand, cleared the blood from Tonks' face and repairing her nose. He held her firmly to his side, brushing his lips across her forehead. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Nymphadora, do you understand?" said Remus. To Natalie's amusement, the underlying pure, full bodied loving caress in his voice betrayed the demanding manner of the statement.

He turned to look at the two of them. "How are you two? They didn't hit you with any spells, did they?" asked Remus worriedly.

Natalie shook her head. "No, we were pretty well protected." She gestured to the large shelf at the front of the store.

Now that the adrenaline and danger had passed, Natalie became overcome with the familiar, but distinctly terrifying feeling of naked vulnerability. Both she and Hermione, only a few minutes, ago had been walking happily through Diagon Alley. Now as she stared around, she realized that they had both become involved in a duel with three sadistic men fully bent on burying a grave for all four of them.

"Hermione? How about you?" asked Remus, glancing anxiously at the bushy-haired girl.

"I'm fine, just a bit unnerved," answered Hermione weakly. Looking at Hermione, Natalie recognized the same blank, surreal expression she had bore after the Christmas attack. Witnessing, first, hand the disgusting cruelty of Voldemort and his Death Eaters truly did ignite a brand new perspective.

"Shouldn't the Aurors be coming?" posed Natalie to Remus, presuming that at least someone must have noticed the destruction of the store.

"I used my wand, just now, to contact Williams and some of the other Aurors. I told them to bring some mediwitches well for, Kingston," said Tonks softly, her head buried in her chest. She glanced sadly at Kingston's body. "Hermione, can you –"

"Yes," whispered Hermione, slowly stepping towards the body. A strong urge filled Natalie to look away and ignore what only must have been inevitable. She watched Hermione's trembling fingers press themselves against the man's throat. Natalie closed her eyes.

A gasp escaped Hermione's mouth. A lump formed in Natalie's throat.

"He's alive," said Hermione.

Natalie opened her eyes, slightly stunned. "What?" she croaked to Hermione.

Hermione smiled in relief. "He's pretty damaged, but well alive."

Remus and Tonks exchanged a smile with another, their chests deflating. Natalie felt like enveloping Hermione in a bone crushing hug. No death this time, at the least.

Suddenly, the door of the shop burst open. A group of wizards in the typical navy blue robes of Aurors entered, their wands pointed directly at Remus, Tonks, Natalie and Hermione. Both Natalie and Hermione, still quite edgy, had immediately raised their wands at the intruding group.

Remus waved his hands defensively at the Aurors. "Williams, tell your men to put their wands down. Everything's okay. The Death Eaters are all out."

The man in front, who Natalie recognized to Williams, said evenly, "Lupin, when did you first start going out with Tonks?"

Remus looked momentarily baffled with the random question, but then smiled at Williams. "Oct 21st two years ago."

Williams grinned, lowering his wand. "Didn't know you remembered the date that well." With a casual dismissal of his hand, the other men and women dropped their wands. "What in the bloody hell happened here?"

"Death Eaters got hold of Kingston. They used the Imperius on him to trap me," stated Tonks, a firm tone returning to her voice. She glanced at Remus, Natalie and Hermione. "These three saved both Kingston and I. And we got some Death Eaters in the process."

"Is Kingston alright?" asked a younger, brown haired woman beside Williams, a frightened expression on her face.

"He's alive, but pretty badly injured. He should go with the mediwitches to St. Mungo's as does Tonks I think," said Remus. Tonks looked like she might object but upon seeing the resolved look on Remus' face, her protest quickly faded.

Williams nodded. "Very well then. We only have one mediwitch with us. She'll take Kingston with her. Remus, can you apparate with Tonks to St. Mungo's?"

Remus nodded. "Natalie and Hermione will have to be accompanied to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."

William raised his eyebrows at Natalie and Hermione. "You two, Hogwarts students?"

Natalie and Hermione nodded, each holding his firm gaze.

A blonde haired man whistled. "That won't sit too well with the Death Eaters – being thrashed by two underage witches."

Natalie bristled. "Excuse me, sir, but Hermione's not underage – she's seventeen. And it's not like we are completely useless at defending ourselves."

A few chuckles spread through the group of Aurors.

Williams grinned at her. "We didn't say you two were incapable, did we?"

Remus smirked at Williams. "Will you take them to the Weasleys' shop while I apparate Tonks to St. Mungo's?"

Williams nodded. "Yes." He turned to the other Aurors. "The rest of you, clean up this mess, take the three Death Eaters back to the Ministry, and begin writing your reports. I'll join you shortly. We should have them wallowing in Azkaban by tonight."

Remus lifted Tonks slightly who had began to slouch onto him. He gave Natalie and Hermione his biggest smile. "I am truly in debt to the two of you. Tonks and I would likely be dead if you hadn't disobeyed my orders."

Natalie could not help, but feel a wave of pride at the man's sincere gratitude. "Don't want to be setting a precedent for breaking rules do we Remus?" asked Natalie cheekily.

Remus laughed before turning on the spot with Tonks and disappearing with a crack.

Williams turned to Natalie and Hermione with a curious expression on his face. "Well, shall we go, ladies? I don't particularly like spending any time in Knockturn Alley."

The two girls nodded. While they exited the shop and quickly walked towards Diagon Alley, Natalie noticed that the battle within the shop had not attracted much attention from the rest of Knockturn Alley's occupants. Even with the shop looking completely destroyed. "They don't look too bothered, do they?" muttered Natalie, gazing at the dark, hooded figures who seemed to glide across the street.

"No, they don't. Well, seeing as most of them are so evil and twisted, I don't think any type of destruction will have a chance of arousing sympathy," answered Hermione, barely containing the disgust in her voice.

"Why does the Ministry allow for this place to exist then? It seems like such an easy place for Death Eaters to hide," asked Natalie, still overwhelmed at the glaring contrast between Diagon and Knockturn Alley.

"The Ministry has considered that," said Williams from behind, startling the two girls.

"But if we close Knockturn Alley, all of these shop owners will just find another place to set up that will be even harder for the Ministry to detect. And we won't be able to keep at least a small check on what happens here."

"So it's better to let the Death Eaters gather, but know where they are rather than not know where they are and still let them gather," stated Natalie, shaking her head at the bizarre logic behind William's explanation.

Williams gave a dark chuckle. "Welcome to magical politics, my dear. You see, unlike the Muggles, enforcing magical laws is nearly impossible. I don't like Knockturn Alley either, but allowing it to exist just outside of Diagon Alley is pretty effective damage control."

Hermione smiled weakly. "It's a good compromise."

Williams nodded. "Here we are, Diagon Alley."

Natalie's chest expanded in relief. Their fight with the Death Eaters and the dreary, sinister atmosphere of Knockturn Alley had tightened her chest, straining her nerves considerably. She could not be happier to be serenaded in the dazzling energy of Diagon Alley.

"Nice to be back," said Natalie, looking sideways at Hermione. But, Hermione's expression did not brighten at the sight of the exuberant street. An unnerving hollowness still encased Hermione's face.

Natalie decided she and Hermione needed to talk quickly. She did not want Hermione to experience the same devouring and throttling fear she had experienced for days after the Christmas attack.

"Er, Williams, Hermione and I are feeling a bit hungry. Do you mind if we go to that ice cream place and get a couple cones? The queue does not seem to be that long."

Hermione shot Natalie a puzzled look. Williams glanced at his watch. "Well, I suppose we have some time to spare. Do you mind getting me a sundae as well?"

Natalie almost laughed. It seemed that he was actually hungry. "Of course. Come on Hermione."

They walked towards the ice cream parlour, stepping into the queue. Williams paced along the street, making sure the two did not disappear from his sight.

"What was that for? I don't know about you, but I'm not in the greatest mood for a chocolate sundae," mumbled Hermione.

Natalie cast the Muffliato spell around them. "Do you honestly think I'm that hungry as well?" asked Natalie, causing Hermione to frown in confusion. "What happened in that store is obviously bothering you. I think it's better if we get it out of your system."

"I'm fine, Natalie. There's no need to worry," replied Hermione meekly.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you were more convincing after you saw Ron kissing Lavender."

"Why aren't you so bothered? We just faced three Death Eaters. That's not such an everyday event," said Hermione defensively.

Natalie held Hermione's glare. "Don't you think that I was not terrified during that duel? You saw me when you were checking if that Kingston fellow was alive."

"You don't seem to be completely shocked though," retorted Hermione.

Natalie sighed, letting her gaze fall from Hermione's face. She knew the grim reason for her relatively unbothered action to the fight. "After the Christmas attack, I've sort of accepted that with Voldemort and his Death Eaters, these battles do happen."

Hermione shuddered. "I forgot about what happened to you over the holidays."

Natalie placed her hand around Hermione's shoulders. "I don't think about it much. And anyway, no major damage occurred. And neither did anything too bad happen today. On the positive side, we caught three Death Eaters."

Hermione frowned. "I've been trying to tell myself that. But I don't know, the battle really bothers me. I mean, it seems so cruel."

Natalie sighed. "I know, Hermione. Anything easily could have happened, but honestly, we can't expect the Death Eaters not to use Unforgivable Curses. We just have to outsmart them and it helps that they aren't the most intelligent bunch of people."

Hermione shook her head. "Seriously Natalie, the Death Eaters and their curses do not bother me. There's nothing much worse than the curse Dolohov used on me last year at the Ministry. If I can handle that curse, then I'm pretty much prepared."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. She recognized that Hermione was not trying to appease her, but genuinely remained unbothered by the Death Eaters' Unforgivable Curses. "What is troubling you then?"

"Did you see what Remus did?" asked Hermione, her eyes glazing over.

"He was bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Natalie. "A Chaser would have been proud of the way he pushed Tonks out of the way of Rabastan's Curse."

Hermione shook her head. "No, Natalie. Did you see the curse he used?"

Sudden realization dawned upon Natalie. "Oh, he tried to use the Killing Curse."

"Yes and do you know the punishment for that curse?"

Before Natalie could answer, she realized that they had reached the counter of the ice cream parlour. She wondered how long they had been at the counter, noticing the impatient customers behind them. "Er, Hermione. I think we should order," said Natalie nervously as she inconspicuously removed the Muffliato curse.

Hermione temporarily awoke from her slightly panicked state. "Oh, of course. Three chocolate fudge sundaes please."

Hermione and Natalie paid for the sundaes. Natalie led Hermione to the back of the store. "Let's just finish our little chat before we get to Williams. I believe performing an Unforgivable means a term in Azkhaban."

"Exactly," enunciated Hermione, her eyes widening.

"But the Aurors know that he was just defending himself. Nothing's going to happen to him," countered Natalie.

"But he's still trying to kill a person. I know he likes Tonks, but murder isn't going to solve anything." Hermione's tone rose dramatically, becoming quite frantic and desperate.

Natalie sighed. Surprisingly, the Killing Curse used by Lupin did not unnerve her in the same way. On a deeper level, she knew that they inevitably would have to use such magic to beat the Death Eaters. "Listen Hermione, I see where you're coming from. Killing a person is never right, but the people we're facing are not using simple Disarming and Stunning spells against us."

"But still, how are we any better than them if we resort to such tactics?" exclaimed Hermione.

"We are still better because we're not doing it for pleasure. We're using those spells to survive. Kalissa once told me that to beat evil, a part of you has to be slightly evil. Kalissa's killed Death Eaters and so has Dumbledore. I'm guessing this is not the first time Lupin has used the Killing Curse and that most of the other Order Members have used Unforgivables as well."

Hermione looked completely shocked. "But I can't bring myself to use that spell," stuttered Hermione.

Hermione's comment took Natalie slightly by surprise. She had never considered actually using an Unforgivable. "I can't either. But I think what Kalissa was saying is that we have to realize that we have to use some Dark Magic to beat the Death Eaters. I mean we would be pretty outmatched if we didn't."

Hermione nodded shakily. "I suppose. It just seems like such a mess."

Natalie could not agree more. "I guess that's war."

"What have we got ourselves into?" muttered Hermione, still looking slightly dazed

Natalie looked at the clock on the parlour's wall. "I think we should be getting back to Williams. His ice cream will be melting. What is this place anyway?"

Hermione laughed for the first time since the attack. "This is Florean Fortescue's Parlour. It's magical ice cream. It doesn't melt. Honestly Natalie, even though I'm a Muggle, I think I know more about the Magical World."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Going to Durmstrang isn't exactly the most cultural experience."

Hermione laughed as they exited the parlour, heading towards an anxiously pacing Williams. "I gathered that from Viktor."

"So you alright, Hermione?" asked Natalie, managing a side glance at her friend.

"Better. I see what you're saying. I think I was showing my Gryffindor qualities there. But I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me."

Natalie nodded. "You just have to let these things sink in over time. Just remember if we let all of this destruction and Dark Magic bother us, we're only playing into Voldemort's hands."

Hermione smiled. "The Gryffindor in me won't let that happen."

Natalie grinned. "I expect not."

A/N: How did you like this chapter?


	25. Mrs Weasley's Ire

Chapter 25- Mrs. Weasley's Ire

**A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers for the past few chapters! Special thanks to Mini Luna who's reviewed each chapter since Chapter 6 and to I am Pandora and Bookygurl for reviewing the last five chapters. Also thanks to all those who have labeled this story as their favorite or put the story on alert.**

**Thanks once again to my sister for pruning another long chapter. The chapters now will usually be above 7000 words so my update pace is slower(also because of school starting). Thanks to all of you for being patient and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Besides Kalissa and Natalie, I own nothing of the wizarding world.**

"What happened to you two? Why is there an Auror with you two? And where are Remus and Tonks?" asked Mrs. Weasley irately.

Williams had accompanied Natalie and Hermione back to the twins' shop. They navigated their way through all the way to the back of the store where an extremely worried Mrs. Weasley seemed to be pacing.

"Molly, I thought Remus sent you a Patronus, informing you of the, er, incident," replied Williams, flinching slightly under Mrs. Weasley's irate glare. Natalie would have laughed at Williams' clear discomfort but she did not think Mrs. Weasley would like that humor.

"He just said they ran into trouble and Tonks had _somehow_ become injured," snapped Mrs. Weasley.

Williams laughed shakily. "There's slightly more to that. Is there a more private place we can talk?" He glanced around warily at the wave of people surrounding them who thankfully were too enamored with all of the little gadgets and toys to notice the furious look on Mrs. Weasley's face.

"What happened?" asked Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising.

Williams shrugged his shoulders, receding slightly as Mrs. Weasley seemed to slowly step towards him. "I don't know the entire story as my Auror team only arrived in Knockturn Alley after the –"

"You two were in Knockturn Alley?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley, her face a scorching red.

"_Silencio!"_ Mrs. Weasley's voice suddenly went quite.

Natalie, Hermione and Williams immediately jerked their bodies, their wands pointing at the caster of the spell. Behind them, one of the twins raised his wand in mock surrender while the other looked at Natalie and Hermione in amazement.

"We heard Mum practically yelling. Didn't want her to scare the customers," explained the twin who cast the spell. Natalie was almost certain that he was George.

"But seriously, you two were in Knockturn," ogled Fred, looking at them in admiration. Natalie could not stop herself from shaking her head.

Williams wiped his forehead. "You two the owners? Scared the bloody hell out of me."

"Yes we are," chorused the twins together.

"Brilliant store," said Wiliams, earning a proud smack on the back from each of the twins. Williams gazed uneasily at Mrs. Weasley who seemed to be trying to find the counter spell. "Er, why don't we take your mum to a more private place where, er, the two girls can explain?"

Mrs. Weasley glared furiously at Williams. Natalie did not want to imagine the pure madness of Mrs. Weasley's reaction when she realized what actually happened.

"Very well then," announced George. He flicked his wand, causing the outlines of a door to appear in the wall behind them. "Come on young ones, let's go upstairs to our flat." He cheerfully grabbed Natalie and Hermione with each of his hands, leading them through the door. Natalie saw Fred firmly wrap his arm around his mother's waist, taking her into the flat while Williams followed. Natalie could not help but smirk at Mrs. Weasley vehement struggling under her son's grasp.

Surprisingly, the daring, brash exoticness that embodied the shop did not extend into the flat. Looking at the twins' entrance and sitting room, Natalie noticed plain brown walls outlined by the typical scarlet and gold colours of Gryffindor. A few pictures adorned the walls, many of the twins' together at Hogwarts and the joke shop as well as family pictures from what Natalie presumed to be the Weasley home. Comfortable, brown leathered couches lined the side wall and to Natalie's immense surprise, a Muggle televison set lay opposite the couches.

"I see Natalie that you have noticed our little Muggle contraption," said Fred, eying Natalie keenly.

"You two know how to use that thing?" asked Natalie. She and Hermione sat together on one of the couches. Williams, looking cautiously at the television set, sat down on the armchair furthest away from it.

Both twins looked appalled. "Of course we do. We're not as idiotic as we seem," replied Fred in feigned anger as he led a still irate Mrs. Weasley to one of the couches.

"Muggle shows are far better than Wizarding wireless," said George nonchalantly.

"I definitely have to agree with that," said Hermione laughing.

Williams cleared his throat, causing the other five to look at them. "I gather that, er, your mother does not know the counter spell for the Silencing charm." He raised his wand, but Hermione waved her hands frantically in protest.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley glared at Hermione, her hands crossed her against her chest. Hermione winced. "Er, no, I did not mean it that way, Mrs. Weasley. Williams, you can take the Silencing charm off, er, after we've told our story. I, er, don't want to get Mrs. Weasley too, er, excited."

"Very well then. Go on." Mrs. Weasley looked positively outraged. Her fists were clenched and her eyes sparkled with incredibly frightening intensity.

"I don't think that was one of your better ideas," muttered Natalie to Hermione.

Hermione chuckled grimly. "I've seen her when she's mad. We probably would not have been able to finish the story if she had her voice."

"So what is this story?" asked Fred curiously as he and George sat on the couch with Mrs. Weasley.

"Horribly life threatening?" posed George, a playful smirk crossing his face.

"Well not for us," replied Natalie, instantly wincing. Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened so much that Natalie feared they might actually break out of their sockets. Both of the twins glanced at the two girls in absolute bewilderment; an expression Natalie had yet to see on their faces. Even Williams' interest seemed to be taken off the irate Mrs. Weasley.

"Natalie, seeing as you said that, I think you should begin," said Hermione coyly.

Natalie gritted her teeth. "Very well then. While we were in Flourish and Blott's, Remus said Tonks had to leave because she got a message from one of the Aurors, likely you," said Natalie, gesturing towards Williams.

Williams nodded slightly in comprehension. "I never sent her the message. So that's why Remus asked me where I was."

"Exactly," said Natalie, turning towards the slightly confused twins and a now alarmed Mrs. Weasley. "When Remus saw Williams outside of the store, I guess he immediately guessed Tonks was in trouble. Hermione, I think you can do the rest."

Hermione nodded. "He went into Knockturn Alley, looking for Tonks. He told us not to follow, but we were too stubborn to listen so he decided that we could follow at a distance." Mrs. Weasley's face, if possible, turned an even steamier read.

"So Remus found Tonks in that shop in Knockturn, I suppose," asked Williams.

"Yes," answered Hermione. "With three Death Eaters holding her captive."

"Bloody hell!" jeered one of twins.

Hermione raised her hand to silence the twins, eerily reminding Natalie of Minerva. "We knew Remus would not be able to handle the three Death Eaters by himself. We managed to secretly enter the store and then we surprised the Death Eaters and along with Remus, managed, er, to defeat them. The Aurors came shortly after."

"You defeated a bunch of Death Eaters!" exclaimed the twins in unison, their eyes wide open. Mrs. Weasley looked ready to faint.

"They had them apprehended when we arrived," affirmed Williams, smiling at the two girls.

Natalie blushed under the incredulous gazes of the twins. "It was only the three of them and they weren't the smartest of wizards anyway."

"So I believe that's all there is to it, girls?" asked Williams.

Natalie and Hermione nodded. "You can, er, take off the charm," said Hermione, motioning to Mrs. Weasley.

Natalie looked at the ghastly pale Mrs. Weasley in undisguised fear. She noticed the twins starting to slide away from their irate mother.

Williams nodded rather glumly. With a slight grimace on his face, he swept his wand across Mrs. Weasley and returned her wand to her. The other three simultaneously cringed, waiting for the outburst.

"WHAT WERE YOU TWO THINKING? WHAT IF BOTH OF YOU HAD BEEN KILLED? HOW WOULD YOU EXPECT US TO EXPLAIN TO HARRY AND RON?"

"In all honesty, ma'am, they were a great help to Remus and Tonks," blurted Williams. Natalie shook her head in amazement at his almost comical clumsiness.

"Do you think they should have barged into the shop and faced those Death Eaters? Two 16 year old girls, do you, Mr. Williams?"

Williams retreated back into his chair, his face becoming extremely red. "Well no, Molly I of course do not condone those actions but without them, those Death Eaters, er, would have still been at large."

"They could have been killed or taken to You Know Who. Did you ever consider that? Or do the Aurors only care about capturing Death Eaters and not the lives of innocent children?" snapped Mrs. Weasley, her gaze burning upon the terrified Auror.

Natalie balked at the labeling of children. She and Hermione had shown that they were anything but a pair of foolish and naïve schoolgirls. She saw Hermione out of the corner of her eyes also stiffen. The twins were strangely inconspicuous, gazing at the floor and avoiding each other's eyes and more importantly their mother's wrath.

"Answer my question Mr. Williams. Because from what you've said, it seems that you're more concerned with putting Death Eaters in Azkaban!"

Natalie decided that the Auror did not deserve such a harsh and vehement attack. "Er, Mrs. Weasley?" Mrs. Weasley's head jerked to Natalie. "Yes, Natalie," answered Mrs. Weasley, her voice dramatically dropping to a dangerous low tone.

Natalie cleared her throat. "Hermione and I chose to follow Remus and face those Death Eaters. Mr. Williams had nothing to do with it. And quite frankly, and I know I'm speaking for Hermione when I say, we do not regret our actions. Tonks very well could have been killed," stated Natalie, trying to prevent her voice from quivering.

Mrs. Weasley raised her eyebrows at her. "You two are 17 year old girls," said Mrs. Weasley disapprovingly, that scrutinizing and menacing glare piercing right through Natalie. "It is not your responsibility to save lives. Hermione, I thought you would have learned from last year that you all have to be far more careful."

"And let Tonks die?" asked Hermione defiantly.

"Well no, of course not," replied Mrs. Weasley, flustered at Hermione's challenging tone.

"Then what do you expect us to do, Mrs. Weasley?" said Natalie sharply. "We knew Tonks was in trouble. The Aurors were unaware, the Order wasn't there and Remus surely couldn't handle the three Death Eaters by himself."

The twins lifted their heads to look at Hermione and Natalie in carefully reserved admiration.

Mrs. Weasley gazed at the two girls in exasperation. "Listen, the two of you were brilliant. I am extremely proud of you two. But seeing as both of your parents are not here, I take it as my duty to ensure the safety of both of you. And when you go into Knockturn Alley chasing after Death Eaters, it absolutely infuriates and terrifies me. Forgive me for being a worrying mother, but I do not want to stand over the dead body over either one of you."

Natalie gaped in shock at Mrs. Weasley. The explicit declaration of a motherly concern for Natalie extinguished the harsh and curt retort Natalie had been ready to utter.

Natalie also could not help but feel guilty at the pugnacious and belligerent stance she had been fully to prepared take. She sensed Hermione squirm uncomfortably beside her.

Natalie met Mrs. Weasely's worried gaze. "We're sorry for worrying you, Mrs. Weasley," said Natalie sympathetically. "But these are dangerous times and I think we will all have to face situations like this one."

"We don't want you to be standing over our bodies – that will never happen," said Hermione firmly. "Natalie's right though. We're not children anymore. We have to fight too."

Mrs. Weasley breathed heavily, evidently trying to placate herself. "I know Hermione, goodness knows we need all the help we can get. But you two as well as Harry, Ron and Ginny are still at Hogwarts. You may not be young children but Merlin, there's still an education to be had before you decide to go running off after Death Eaters! When all of you charged into the Ministry of Magic last year not only was I absolutely terrified for the safety of my own children as well as those who I consider to be my children, but for the fact that all of you seem to have little regard for your future. As a mother, such a thought is not comforting at all. Perhaps I am being too paranoid, but I daresay it seems to me that the same brash attitude underlined your girls' actions today. "

Natalie sighed, grudgingly acknowledging that Mrs. Weasley had a point. Although she was not part of their "invasion" of the Ministry last year, having been both comforted and annoyed by Kalissa's very protecting and controlling nature, she could appreciate Mrs. Weasley's concern for the fate of her children beyond Hogwarts. Voldemort had not gained so much power in the Wizarding world that there should be complete desperation bordering on maniacal panic to require students at Hogwarts to forfeit their final years of magical education to join in the fight against him. However, that point had little relevance to their encounter with the Death Eaters. Contrary to Mrs. Weasley's implication, she and Hermione had not spontaneously decided to storm through Knockturn alley and attack the Death Eaters. An innocent person who found herself in a fatal situation required their help and it would have been apathetic and immoral of them to not follow Remus. Yet, Natalie realized with a strong pang of resignation that such an argument had already been presented and seemingly dismissed by Mrs. Weasley.

Natalie glanced towards Hermione, whose expression took a grave turn. Natalie supposed that Mrs. Weasley's remark about a loss of education as well as her implicit inclusion of Hermione as her daughter resonated with Hermione, arousing a combination of alarm and guilt. Seeing the sympathetic expressions on the twins' faces, Natalie supposed that they would merely have to silently disagree with Mrs. Weasley. Though she found the woman's concern for them very reassuring and soothing, such protectiveness unfortunately lent itself to an almost unbreakable obstinacy and intractableness that any rational reason could not dissolve.

Mrs. Weasley breathed again, perhaps sensing that she had finally made the girls appreciate the gravity of the situation. "And as I know both of you are also very conscious about your future –"

"Mrs. Weasley, we understand what you're saying and we agree," interrupted Hermione forcefully, her voice quivering slightly. Mrs. Weasley, being stopped in mid sentence, appeared indignat. The twins' heads had now jerked towards Hermione in apprehension. Even Natalie could not contain her surprise at the resolved clip to Hermione's voice.

Before Mrs. Weasley could speak again, Hermione stared directly into Mrs. Weasley's cross eyes, "The fact that you consider me your daughter – I cannot say how gratifying and content it makes me," said Hermione, a genuine smile on her face. "I am very sorry to cause you such distress – you have plenty of things to worry about as it is. Last year, we decided to go into the Ministry because we feared Sirius to be in serious danger. We were hoodwinked by the Death Eaters and we paid severely for the mistake. I can assure you that after losing Sirius, all of us, Harry included, will seek for help first and proceed with much more caution before we try to do something so dangerous. But today's situation is very different from the Ministry – Tonks needed our help, Remus was there and he was up against three Death Eaters. Natalie and I are very sorry for giving you so much worry, but we do not regret our actions."

Mrs. Weasley looked like she was ready to maintain a rigid stand against Hermione's firm sentiments, but then atypically pursed her lips and did not speak. A vehement fierceness and vexation still dominated her features, but Natalie could also detect the smallest hint of pride in her eyes as she stared at Hermione. As Mrs. Weasley continued to remain unusually quiet, a distinct uneasiness swirled among the other inhabitants in the room. The twins seemed morbidly resigned to an outburst from their mother. Williams, still recovering from Mrs. Weasley's verbal attack upon him, clasped and unclasped in his hands in a twitchy and nervous manner that would seem rather comical in most other circumstances. Even Hermione, who had managed to send Mrs. Weasley into this agitated silence, was biting her lower lip, a definite sign of uneasiness on her part.

After what Natalie perceived as five minutes but in actuality, likely was less than a minute, Mrs. Weasley broke the disquiet. "Hermione, I appreciate you words." said Mrs. Weasley warmly the belligerent expression on her face slowly dissipating. "This entire situation has made me very agitated. I am very proud of both you and Natalie, but I admit that I cannot look at what you have done without a disapproving thought. You must know that I do not view either of you as naive schoolgirls and I trust you all to act with caution especially after what happened to Sirius at the Ministry. But I am a mother first and foremost and worrying is in my nature."

Hermione nodded, a sincere and affectionate smile returning to her face. "I wouldn't have it any other way Mrs. Weasley. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree."

Mrs. Weasley returned the smile. "I'm glad that you have chosen to be rather blunt with me. I could not imagine having this conversation with either Ron or Ginny. And to have this conversation in front of Fred and George seems almost appalling."

"I think it to be quite funny," replied Hermione, laughing with Mrs. Weasley as the twins blushed. Natalie could not help but think that they truly did resemble a mother and daughter.

Williams stood up abruptly, anxiously fidgeting with the buttons on his coat. "I think I have intruded for too long." He looked at Natalie and Hermione. "Thank you for helping Tonks – the Auror department is sincerely in debt to you." In a lighter tone, he added to a still embarrassed Fred and George, "I must say your joke shop looks to be doing very well."

He nodded to Mrs. Weasley, still afraid of meeting her eyes before proceeding to exit the apartment.

As they heard him hurriedly descend the stairs leading to the shop below, Mrs. Weasley lifted herself from the twins' settee.

"We should return to the shop. The others should have arrived now from and I daresay you girls have some explaining to them," stated Mrs. Weasley, sternly looking at Natalie and Hermione.

Natalie sighed as she stood up with others. "I can only imagine Harry's reaction to this one."

For the first time since they had entered the apartment, both of the twins gave equally mischievous grins. "I do hope he doesn't scream at you. He does know how to give a right fit," exclaimed George as Fred sniggered.

"You two were rather quiet this whole time," observed Hermione amusedly, ending the sniggers between the two as they all left the apartment.

"I believe their delicate tempers are a bit too fragile for all that emotion," commented Natalie airily.

"Delicate? What a load of rubbish!" exclaimed Fred indignantly.

"We just know when to keep our mouths shut, isn't that right, Fred?" cried George dramatically.

"I do say so, my dear Fred. But I have to say whenever we tried to argue like Hermione, Mum definitely did not 'agree to disagree'."

Mrs. Weasley huffed in annoyance as she walked behind them down the stairs to the shop below. "There's a difference between saving a friend's life and setting off stupid attention-seeking pranks in school."

"I agree with Mrs. Weasley," acknowledged Natalie. "Making vomit inducing sweets isn't what I'd define as righteous and noble."

Both twins simultaneously clicked their tongues while shaking their hands in disbelief.

"Clearly Natalie, you cannot grasp the pleasure and fulfillment we bring to Hogwarts student's lives by reducing the amount of time they have to spend in class, cowering under –"

"McGonagall's gaze,"

"Covering their ears from Flitwick's squeaky voice,"

"Running from Hagrid's creatures,"

"And last but not definitely least, seeing the ball of grease that is Severus' Snape's hair."

"Ah George, I would go with that big, hooked nose. Having to stare at that thing was definitely vomit inducing."

Before Hermione, Natalie or Mrs. Weasley could utter a sharp and caustic retort to the twins, both of them rushed through the door leading into the shop, immediately blending in with the crowd that still engulfed the store.

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes as they also entered the store. "I honestly do not know where they learned to be so disrespectful. I can for one tell you I was never like that in school."

Hermione looked absolutely livid. "The nerve! Professor McGonagall is surely not that scary and I happen to find Professor Flitwick's noise very melodious."

Natalie had to stop herself from laughing as she patted Hermione consolingly. "I believe they were joking Hermione about those two, though the insult against Snape was pretty genuine."

"We should go outside," stated Mrs. Weasley, her eyes wandering through the store. "Though I am proud of the success of the store, seeing all these people is slightly suffocating." 

Natalie and Hermione assented their agreement. "We'll also be able to find the others outside," said Hermione.

"Though I don't know how much of a relief that will be once we tell them what happened," muttered Natalie acidly.

Hermione smiled at her grimly. The three of them walked along the side of the store, fighting against the throngs of people that somehow managed to get larger and larger. Natalie wondered briefly whether the twins had cast an engorgement charm on the store that allowed it expand as people entered.

Once they had finally managed to the shop and step into the alley, which was not as busy, Natalie turned to . "What time were we supposed to meet again?"

"At 4'o clock," answered Mrs. Weasley. She looked at her watch. "It's ten to 4 now so unless they're unusually early, we'll have to wait for 10 minutes."

"Where did they go, anyways?" asked Hermione.

"Quidditch shops, though I do not possibly know how you can spend three hours looking at a broomstick," replied Natalie.

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I gather that you're not an avid Quidditch fan, Natalie."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "It's never something that's caught my interest, probably because I don't really like flying."

"To really like the sport, you have to play it. Watching Quidditch, I have to admit, is not nearly as exhilarating as actually playing it," remarked Mrs. Weasley wistfully.

"Did you play Quidditch at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione curiously.

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "From my fourth year onwards, I played Beater for the Gryffindor. It's a really nice experience to be part of a team, but the house pressure could be unbearable."

"The animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor seems to make Quidditch like the greatest validation of which house is the best. It's almost ridiculous," remarked Natalie disdainfully, remembering how before the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch house, members of each house were constantly attacking one another.

"I suppose at Durmstrang though, Quidditch is very competitive as well," said Mrs. Weasley to Natalie.

Natalie shook her head. "Surprisingly, no. The school obviously produces some excellent Quidditch players, but the house rivalries are not nearly as strong at Durmstrang. So Quidditch, I should say, just remains a sport."

"That's what Quidditch should be at Hogwarts," stated Hermione matter of factly.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Hermione, I'm sure you know that house rivalries are one of the defining features of Hogwarts. It's impossible to make Quidditch into just a game."

"Then, why can't we at least make an attempt to promote inter house unity? Surely, some people must realize that all that anger and contempt between Slytherin and Gryffindor cannot be productive in a school," answered Hermione defiantly.

Natalie rubbed her forehead contemplatively. "I agree with you, Hermione. But the Slytherin-Gryffindor animosity is not just because of a house rivalry. Historically, as you know, it's more indicative of the battle between the traditional Purebloods in Wizarding society who want to maintain the status quo and not allow Muggleborns to become a part of this world and the more cultured and modern Purebloods as well as Muggleborns and half bloods who do not favour discrimination against Muggleborns."

"And of course, Hermione, you have to remember that the presence of Voldemort has done quite a bit to really augment the animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor into something more akin to a hatred," noted Mrs. Weasley.

"But can you not say, also Mrs. Weasley, that the lack of house unity at Hogwarts was a contributing factor to graduating Slytherin students joining Voldemort, becoming Death Eaters and ultimately turning him into a tyrant?" asked Hermione. Natalie smiled at the sheer determination and insistence in Hermione's expression; she was definitely out to make a point.

"I suppose you're right about that Hermione, but people who went to Hogwarts before Voldemort became powerful have said that the Slytherin-Gryffindor dislike was not as strong."

Natalie suddenly noticed a throng of redheads eagerly heading their way. "Oh, here they come," said Natalie, motioning her head to the oncoming group. She could make out Bill and Mr. Weasley at the front with Harry, Ron and Ginny following behind with numerous parcels in their hands.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at Hermione who looked a little disappointed that they could not continue their argument. "I guess we'll have to leave our discussion for another day, though I have to say I prefer arguing with you about these subjects than listening to Arthur drone on about whatever new Muggle gadget has caught his eye."

Hermione and Natalie laughed as Mrs. Weasley waved at Bill and her husband. They arrived with rather enthusiastic smiles on their faces.

"You two look to be quite happy," remarked Hermione dryly.

Bill shrugged his shoulders. "It's been a long time since I saw Diagon Alley like this." He looked around at the streams of people shuffling from store to store with a fervent optimism.

"It is rather nice and cheerful, _here_" commented Mrs. Weasley, glancing at Natalie and Hermione as she emphasized her last word. Natalie and Hermione immediately looked away from the puzzled looks of Mr. Weasley and Bill.

"Where's Remus and Tonks?" asked Mr. Weasley, glancing around.

"Oh, don't worry, they're alright, but there's a nice story to that," replied Mrs. Weasley cryptically. The veiled remark only aggrandized the confusion of the two Weasley men.

As Ron, Harry and Ginny arrived, Natalie tried her best not to make eye contact with Harry for he would easily recognize the apprehension on her face. But upon second glance, she realized that she had little need to worry about Harry scrutinizing her. He and Ginny were engaged in a thoroughly energetic and animated discussion. Ron nodded along to their gesticulations, bouncing on his feet. Natalie presumed they were talking about Quidditch, the only subject that she surmised could arouse that level of interest in Ron.

Natalie sighed. Whenever Ginny and Harry interacted, a contemptuous dislike for Ginny abruptly arose within her. Natalie supposed these sentiments to be born from the memories of the heated encounters she had with Ginny at the beginning of the year. As those memories faded and lost their sharpness of emotion, Natalie presumed that eventually, it would be much more difficult for Ginny to trigger such strength of contempt. However, what scared Natalie were the feelings of futility and hopelessness stirring within her when her cynical side ruminated over the notion of a more attractive girl with greater passion and vivaciousness also pining for Harry.

She recalled Hermione mentioning that over the summer, Ginny had finally managed to become comfortable and develop a friendship with Harry as previously, she had difficult uttering a few words to him without breaking out in embarrassment. Over the past few months, while the tension between Natalie and Ginny slowly dissipated, Natalie could not help noticing that Harry and Ginny had become closer. A dynamic yet relaxed enthusiasm always imbued their interactions whether they were excitedly discussing Quidditch strategy, needling Ron or generally talking about any subject. Harry and Ginny somehow never managed to reach a moment of palpable tension in which someone's insecurities were breached like she and Harry frequently did. Natalie knew jealousy inevitably obscured her judgment and felt guilty and foolish for essentially not wanting Harry to develop a close friendship with a girl who he could always trust. Nevertheless, as much as she tried to continually convince herself that Harry did not reciprocate Ginny's romantic feelings, the fear persisted that a repressed attraction for the redhead did exist. Such fear continually augmented the hollow and slightly terrifying sensation that with Harry, she was plunging herself into a situation that would always be slightly out of her grasp and control.

"You alright?" muttered Hermione, nudging Natalie.

Natalie suddenly awoke from her depressing reverie. She saw Harry smiling amusedly at her. "Oh yeah, sorry about that Hermione," mumbled Natalie, embarrassed by what she had been contemplating.

The others, she thought with relief, had not noticed her daydreaming and were busy informing Mrs. Weasley of all the items they had purchased and bought at the Quidditch shops. Mr. Weasley apparently looked pretty excited at acquiring a digital watch from a Muggle store just outside of Diagon Alley.

"So where are Remus and Tonks?" asked Harry to Natalie and Hermione, repeating Bill's earlier question.

Natalie cringed. She should have prepared for his question instead of immersing herself in self deprecation. "Er, Harry, well, er, Mrs. Weasley can tell you."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at her. Harry definitely sensed something was wrong as he was now glancing suspiciously between the two of them. "What happened?"

Natalie exchanged a resigned glance with Hermione. She motioned her head towards the other Weasleys, wondering whether they should wait and tell them all at once.

"Natalie?" said Harry, his voice rising.

To Natalie's dismay, Bill heard them. He looked at Harry. "What's wrong there?"

Harry swiveled his head towards Bill. "You don't know what happened to Remus and Tonks, do you?"

Bill glanced at his mother curiously. "Actually, Harry, they were about to tell us before you three came along." He nudged his mother. "What did you say you needed to tell us about Remus and Tonks?"

Mrs. Weasley looked slightly flustered at being addressed the question. Even she seemed slightly apprehensive at describing the dangerous encounter with the Death Eaters.

"Hermione and Natalie can tell you about that."

Mr. Weasley, Ginny and Ron had now stopped their conversation to look in bewilderment at Natalie and Hermione.

"Er, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione, rubbing a hand anxiously through her hair. "Is it safe to be talking about that out here?"

"I don't see any reason why not, Hermione. It's not like this is important information about the Order and anyway there are so many people that the chances of us being overheard are very low," replied Mrs. Weasley, clearly wanting for Hermione to just describe what happened.

"Very well then," said Hermione, her voice trembling slightly. Realizing how nervous she was, she quickly paused to gather herself and cleared her throat. The attention of the all the Weasleys were now fixated fully on her. "While we were at Flourish and Blotts, Tonks received a message from an Auror to investigate some trouble further down the street-she obviously went to go meet that Auror. However, when we left Flourish and Blotts, Remus saw that same Auror walking around the shop and Tonks was not with him. This Auror said he had never asked Tonks to come investigate some trouble."

"Oh no," gasped Ginny. All of the other Weasleys and Harry now bore very grave and concerned expressions on their faces.

Natalie nodded at Ginny, deciding to tell the rest of the story. Hermione's composure seemed to be rapidly deteriorating.

Natalie continued, cutting off Hermione. "So as you all can surmise, Remus feared that, er, well, Death Eaters had managed to get hold of Tonks. He rushed into Knockturn Alley and we followed him."

She winced, noticing the astonished and slightly outraged expression on Harry's face. "Why would you follow him to Knockturn Alley?" Harry.

Natalie glared at him. "Let me finish," she said, trying to sound as authoritative as she could. "Anyway, we followed him to a really dodgy looking shop and in the shop we saw three Death Eaters did have Tonks held captive. We knew that Remus could not take all those Death Eaters by himself so we slipped into the store and surprised the Death Eaters, and attacked them. There were some spells fired and eventually we managed to knock them all unconscious. The Aurors arrived shortly afterward and arrested the three Death Eaters. Remus took Tonks to St. Mungo's, I believe. She was doing fine – only a few minor injuries."

Natalie exhaled, waiting for the onslaught of questions.

Mr. Weasley began, shaking his head. "So you two were in a duel with three Death Eaters who had managed to subdue Tonks, a powerful and respected Auror."

"Us and Remus took on the three Death Eaters," corrected Hermione.

Bill was looking at them with a combination of admiration and exasperation. "Honestly, do you lot not know how to avoid trouble?"

"Tonks and Remus would have been in far worse condition had we not been there," replied Natalie defensively.

"As would you two had they seen you coming," said Mr. Weasley, running a hand across his forehead. "While I'm still shocked at what happened, I have to applaud you two for arresting three Death Eaters. It was reckless and dangerous, but Tonks is safe."

Mrs. Weasley stared at her husband in disbelief. Natalie perceived that later tonight, he would be receiving a mouthful from her.

"Who were the Death Eaters?" asked Harry, finally speaking. Natalie, who was standing beside him, could almost feel the heat radiate off him.

Natalie really did not want to answer the question. "Um, er, well, Harry, you know it's hard to see when you're, er –"

"Answer the question, Natalie," snapped Harry.

Natalie looked at him in astonishment. She noticed that Ron and Ginny, who had been staring at her and Hermione in stunned silence, now turned to look at Harry with slightly alarmed expressions on their face. She heard Hermione on the other side mutter "_Muffliato"_. Natalie hoped with all her might that another Harry outburst would not occur.

Before Natalie could mutter a sharp retort to him, Hermione answered quietly, "Rabastan Lestrange and a few other Death Eaters."

"Rabastan Lestrange!" shouted Harry, his face now a very bright red. "Do you two know who he is?"

"Yes, we do," replied Natalie vehemently, slightly cross that he would fail to see her connection to the Death Eater. "Tonks needed our help Harry and we do not regret our actions. And please don't shout at me, Harry." She made sure to stare directly into his eyes.

Harry looked at her in disbelief. "What if one of their spells, which I'm assuming included some Unforgivables, managed to hit one of you? Did it not occur to you that maybe you could have gone to the Aurors instead of jumping into the situation and playing hero?" There was no doubt as to the seething fury underlining his harsh tone.

"Don't you think this is a bit hypocritical, coming from you of all people?" said Natalie angrily. "The Aurors would have taken some time to get there and by that time, Remus and Tonks may have been dead."

"I don't care if it's hypocritical. What you did was stupid and reckless," said Harry venomously. "How would you like me telling Kalissa that you died on a casual trip to Diagon Alley after all she's done to keep you safe?"

"She'd tell you she was proud of the way I acted. Unlike some people, she's doesn't let your own feelings turn her into a stubborn and irrational git," responded Natalie contemptuously.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" cried Harry.

"Harry! Watch your language," reprimanded Mrs. Weasley, who had stepped towards them and position herself firmly between the two of them.

"The two of you need to calm down and stop behaving like schoolchildren," said Mrs. Weasley sternly, turning her head to stare once at Natalie and then at Harry.

Natalie could feel Hermione pulling her arm, and whispering in her ear. "Natalie, he's wrong, but you need to calm down.

She saw Ron pull Harry away, whispering in his ear. Natalie was slightly surprised that Ron had remained so quiet. Despite Ron's assuring mutterings, Harry's furious expression did not waver. With a strong pang of irritation, Natalie noticed that Ginny now bore a slightly haughty and smug look on her face, no doubt delighted at the contentious encounter she had just witnessed.

Bill cleared his throat. "You two can talk about this later." He gestured to crowd of people surrounding them who thankfully had not heard Harry and Natalie. "I don't want you to two to start something that will likely end up in the Prophet tomorrow. Harry, what happened is in the past and I know you would have done the same thing she did. But Natalie and Hermione, next time, at least consider alerting an Auror because if there were more Death Eaters, you two would have been in serious danger."

Mr. Weasley smiled at the girls. "I see Hermione that you performed a silencing charm. Wise thinking my girl. But I agree with Bill – you and Natalie should talk to Harry about this later when you're all significantly calmer."

"Why don't we go to the twins' store and check out their merchandise? You know, let things cool down a bit" suggested Ron reasonably. He still had a strong hold on Harry's arm.

Hermione looked rather surprised and pleased at Ron's intuition.

Bill nodded. "That's a good idea." He looked at his parents who also assented their agreement.

All of them returned to the twins' shop. Moving within a group of people made it much easier for them to traverse their way through the large throngs of people that still hovered in front of the store.

"How is it still so busy?" asked Natalie, raising her voice over all of the jubilant cries and shouts of amazement and delight. She desperately wanted to change the subject and control her indignation at Harry's mention of Kalissa.

"The twins are really doing well," said Ron, his words laced with pride. "I suppose no one's ever thought of a joke shop where you can just get things to fool around in Hogwarts with. I mean Zonko's nice, but it's not –"

"Hated by most Hogwarts Professors," finished Hermione, smiling.

"Yeah," agreed Ron, smiling at Hermione. The two of them blushed as they made eye contact. Natalie rolled her eyes.

"Though I do imagine that once it gets dark, the shop will get a lot quieter," commented Bill wryly from behind.

"Well, with what we've seen, it should be quiet by dark," muttered Natalie, causing the others to give a grim laugh.

Harry, who had remained in stony silence, shot her an angry glare. Natalie sighed. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

Bill, who saw the exchange, chuckled. "Teenagers."

"You're not much older," said Ron defensively.

"I'm about to be married and I'm old enough," stated Bill authoritatively, seeming to stare down his younger brother as they entered the store, squeezing their way past a small group of boys who stared in awe at the "U No Poo" poster.

Ginny, who had been walking ahead, swiveled her head around. "How is dear Fleur by the way?" asked Ginny, barely containing a sneer.

Bill frowned at her. "She's doing very well. She couldn't come today because she had a rather nasty cold. You know, it would be nice if you could give her a chance."

"I'm doing my best, Bill," replied Ginny in that annoying singsong voice that the Weasleys seemed to have perfected. "But I do hope she gets better." Natalie almost laughed at the sarcasm in that statement.

"Ginny!" scolded Mrs. Weasley from behind Bill. "Watch your tone."

Ginny nodded, the smug expression not leaving her face.

Mr. Weasley motioned for all of them to come together in a corner of the shop by the entrance. They all moved to that corner, pushing out the group of giggly teenage girls looking at hair enhancing potions. Natalie glared at the girls as they began to point towards Harry.

"Alright," began Mr. Weasley. "I'll give you lot about 20 minutes in the store before we go back to Hogwarts. Meet Molly and me back here in 20 min and no wandering outside." He stared at Harry, Hermione and Ron. "Molly will be by the entrance checking."

Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Natalie, Ron and Bill nodded. Bill and Ginny decided to look at the Pygmy Puffs Ginny had wanted to purchase during the summer.

"Hermione, there's something I think you might like," said Ron, fidgeting with his jersey as he stared at the floor.

Hermione looked oddly at him. "What is it? Is this the quill you were telling me about last week?"

Ron nodded enthusiastically; clearly delighted Hermione had remembered such a small detail. "Yes, except the twins have a new model now. I'm sure you're like it."

"Very well, lead me on," said Hermione, amused at Ron's excitability.

Ron grabbed her hand, causing both of them to blush a crimson red. He then immediately let go, choosing to guide her to the section with the quills.

Natalie doubled over with silent laughter. She would really miss those cat and mouse interactions once both managed to confess their feelings to one another. She could tell by the big grins on Mr and Mrs Weasley's faces that they both felt the same way. Even Harry cracked a smile.

"Er, Harry, why don't we go see what new things the twins have?" asked Natalie, not really caring for whatever new merchandise there was. She just wanted to dissipate the tension between Harry and her.

Harry gazed at her curiously before nodding. "Lead the way," muttered Harry indifferently.

As they walked away out of earshot of the Weasley parents, Harry turned to her with an unreadable expression on his face. "I have a funny feeling that you don't really care for whatever new stuff the twins have."

Natalie nodded. "Well, of course, I just wanted to clear the air between the two of us. For some reason, you still seem very unhappy with me."

"For some reason?" said Harry, barely containing his outrage. "Natalie, something terrible could have easily happened to you today while I was busy deciding which polish made my broom look shinier."

"Something worse would have happened to Tonks if Hermione and I had not followed Remus," said Natalie, trying not to raise her voice.

Harry sighed, running a hand agitatedly to through his hair. "Natalie, do you know how terrified I was when I heard you fought with Rabastan Lestrange, of all people?"

"Oh," said Natalie, her mouth open in understanding. Harry had feared for her emotional damage upon meeting her mother's brother in law. He actually did make the connection between her and Rabastan Lestrange. The penetration and sharpness of his perception into her conscience infused her with a burst of warmth.

"And that image of you and him fighting each other isn't doing me much good at all," said Harry, his agitation increasing.

Natalie placed her hand on his arm, stroking it soothingly. She did not care about all of the jealous glares she was receiving from the girls close to them. "Listen Harry, I'm sorry for upsetting you," whispered Natalie, looking straight into those devastatingly beautiful green eyes. "But I really do appreciate your concern – it's what makes you so wonderful."

Harry held her gaze, his eyes filled with concern. "Does it bother you that you met him today?"

Natalie smiled at him. "Not as much it would have before. You know, our little group therapy sessions late at night in the Gryffindor common room have really helped with, er, getting used to my family."

Harry blushed. "They've helped me too."

Natalie squeezed his arm. "But you have to know that if the same thing happened tomorrow, I'd follow Remus."

Harry's shoulders sagged slightly. His hand clasped Natalie's other hand. "Yes, I suppose I know and somehow, in a deeper part of me, I wouldn't want you to not follow Remus. I'm still pissed as hell that you put yourself in that danger, but you're right, I'd have done the same thing."

Natalie nodded, taking her hand off shoulder. "Thanks," she whispered. "I think if we continue this though, the girls next to us will start deciding whether the Cruciatus curse will cause sufficient harm."

Harry laughed loudly, releasing his hand from Natalie's grasp. "Well they don't know how lucky I am," said Harry solemnly.

Natalie blushed. She did not know how he could induce such powerful waves of embarrassment and pleasure within her.

"But Natalie," said Harry with a twinkle in his eyes. "Just remember this conversation when I, er, decide to engage in some reckless behavior."

Natalie swatted his shoulder, silently not wanting to think of that situation. "I'll make sure to hex you thoroughly then."

Harry chuckled. "Shall we find Ron and Hermione?"

Natalie checked her watch. "We still have about ten minutes. I want to give them as much time with each other as possible so that you know, they –"

"Can test their boundaries," said Harry with a smirk.

"Not exactly what I was thinking, but it covers the general idea," replied Natalie with a bigger smirk.

Harry looked around at all of the nosebleed and vomit inducing devices around them. "You know what, I don't think I've ever bought any one of these. I remember Fred and George testing them last year."

Natalie rolled her eyes at the gadgets. "Why would you ever want to put yourself through all that pain?"

"I'd rather be vomiting my Shepherd's Pie than go through with a detention with Snape."

Natalie laughed. "Snape's smart enough to figure what you would be doing and given that it's you, he'll probably give you a week's worth of detention for trying to skive one detention."

"I suppose you're right. Git."

"A smart git," corrected Natalie.

Harry scowled. "I'd rather like to not talk about him."

"Point noted. Why don't we explore the store? I've only seen this section and the love potions section," proposed Natalie.

"Thinking of slipping me a love potion," said Harry cheekily.

Natalie huffed indignantly. "Let's just go before that group of girls finally decide on the hex to use on me."

"Very well. Where to Miss Malkae?"

"I think seeing their fireworks would be rather interesting and I think I like being called Miss Malkae," said Natalie, laughing.

Harry bowed in front of her. "Very well. Then we go to the famous Weasley fireworks, Miss Malkae."

Natalie and Harry toured most of the shop with Harry giving Natalie a brief background of the gadgets and instruments he could remember from the twins' experiments at Hogwarts. Natalie was thoroughly impressed by some of the highly advanced Transfiguraton and Charms work the twins had carried out; she was surprised that they had not received all O's on their OWLS.

Harry nudged her. "There's our fiery couple," said Harry, gesturing to a mane of bushy brown hair and the matted red hair alongside.

"They look to be enjoying themselves," remarked Natalie, noticing the content expression on Hermione's face as Ron spoke.

"Hermione doesn't usually laugh that much at Ron's jokes," said Harry.

Natalie grinned. "After Lavender, she's definitely laughing at his jokes even if half of them don't even make much sense."

Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I wouldn't say half. More like a quarter – Ron's a pretty funny bloke. You have to admit that."

"I never said that I didn't think he was funny," countered Natalie playfully.

Harry shook his head. "You bloody know how to not relent in an argument."

"It takes one to know one," said Natalie, elbowing him in the stomach.

"Ouch. Bloody hell, Natalie," grunted Harry, grasping at his stomach. "Do you reckon we head over? By my watch, we only have five more minutes before we have to meet Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

Natalie shrugged. "I suppose so. We've given them enough time together."

They headed towards Ron and Hermione. As they reached the oblivious pair still immersed in their conversation, Harry clapped Ron on his back. Hermione's eyes immediately darted upwards and Ron jumped backward.

Upon seeing Harry and Natalie, both of them simultaneously breathed in relief.

"What the bloody hell, Harry!" exclaimed Ron indignantly.

Harry exchanged a smile with Natalie. "You two seemed pretty occupied."

"We were having a good time without your intruding presence," said Ron, earning another clap on the back from Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So you two have resolved your little spat?" asked Hermione, her eyes flickering over Harry and Natalie.

"It wasn't just a little spat from what I heard," said Ron. "Harry was doing a damn good job of impersonating my mum." Hermione chuckled.

Harry and Natalie's faces flushed. "Yes, we're getting along just fine now," answered Natalie, glaring disdainfully at Ron. "And Harry was just concerned about Hermione and I battling Death Eaters."

Ron raised his hands. "No need to get snappish with me, Natalie. Your boyfriend does a good job of that."

"As does Hermione with you," retorted Natalie, causing both Ron and Hermione to turn a steamy red.

Harry chuckled. "Anyway, I think we should get back to your parents – you know, show them that all of us can stay out of trouble once in a while."

The other three nodded. They fought their way through the crowd to find a nervous looking around the store.

She noticed the four of them, exhaling in relief. "Oh, there you four are. It's to refreshing to know for once that you lot can listen."

The four of them laughed. "So where's the rest?" asked Hermione.

"Bill has already apparated with Ginny. Arthur's gone to get the twins so they can side apparate with the two of you. Arthur and I will take the other two," explained Mrs. Weasley, her eyes still roving around the shop.

"Oh, I can't wait for the day we'll be able to apparate by ourselves," said Hermione wistfully.

"Isn't the test next week?" asked Natalie. Though she managed to apparate successfully from the inside of the hoop to the outside of the hoop during the lessons, she along with Harry, due to their late birthdays, would not be able to take the test next week.

"Yes," responded Hermione. "Oh Ron, there's absolutely no need to be worried. You'll do just fine. I'm positive."

Natalie tried not to smirk at the alarmed expression on Ron's face.

"You just need to relax, Ron," said Harry. "Then at least one limb will travel with you."

"Why you little piece –"

"Ron!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry was being a right idiot," said Hermione crossly, glaring at the snickering Harry.

"Oh here come the twins," said Natalie, preparing for another round of their annoying needling and mocking.


	26. Circumstantial Magic

Chapter 26- Circumstantial Magic

**A/N: Sorry for the long update between this chapter and the last one! Thanks to all the reviewers for the last chapter! And thanks to my sister for editing the 15 000 words for this chapter.**

**There will be action happening in a couple of chapters- I know the conversation can become slow- at this point in the story, I am trying to develop the relationships and friendships as well as cement the plot changes from canon (as you will see in this chapter).**

**I think this is my longest chapter so far so hopefully you will enjoy it.**

Natalie glanced anxiously at her watch, letting out a frustrated sigh at the slow passing of time.

Harry smirked at her from his armchair in front of the fire in the Gryffindor Common room. "You know that must be the third or fourth time you've stared at your watch in the past five minutes."

Natalie nodded, sitting in the armchair alongside him. "I know, but it's been about two months since I last saw Kalissa and I really want to talk her after her last letter."

"You said she wasn't herself in that last letter she wrote," said Harry thoughtfully.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," assured Hermione who was sitting on the settee across from Natalie and Harry.

"I do hope so," muttered Natalie unconvincingly. She looked at the book in Harry's hands. "What are you doing with that?" asked Natalie, trying to keep the suspicion out of her voice.

"Oh you know, er, just looking at a couple of things the Prince wrote," replied Harry, looking slightly nervous.

Hermione stared reproachfully at Harry. "Harry, please tell me you're not deciding on using one of that _person's_ spells," said Hermione, not bothering to keep the scorn out of her voice.

Natalie snatched the book out of the hands of the unaware Harry who had been frowning at Hermione.

She looked at the page margin Harry had been examining, seeing the phrase "_Sectumsempra, for enemies_." Though Natalie believed the Prince to be an ingenious potion maker whose adjustments to the textbook procedures enhanced her understanding of the factors involved in making a powerful and effective potion, all of the spells he had written in the book had a slightly malevolent and almost vindictive note to them. Natalie found that notion quite disconcerting and every time she saw a spell like "_Sectumsempra"_, she was inclined to agree with Hermione that one of those spells would eventually lead to something very dangerous.

Natalie shook her head at Harry. "I really don't like how he says 'for enemies.' It seems like Dark Magic," said Natalie worriedly as she passed the book to a concerned Hermione.

Harry waved his hands dismissively at her. "None of his other spells have been harmful. They have all been quite useful."

"But Harry, you can't perform a spell when you have no idea what it does," countered Natalie.

Hermione nodded. She was looking at the Prince's words in utmost disdain. "I agree with Natalie, Harry. You had no idea what _Muffliato_ would do."

"What is it with you two!" exclaimed Harry in exasperation. "Anyway, Natalie, I don't remember you being so skeptical of the Prince when he was helping you make perfect potions at the beginning of the year."

Natalie rolled her eyes. She had stopped using the Prince's book to help her make potions during class, partly because of Hermione's intense disapproval of the Prince, but also because Natalie's pride made her feel very uneasy and sheepish at taking advantage of the hard work and intelligence of someone else. She had decided to challenge herself to see if she could determine the adjustments to the conventional methods and then afterward, check the Prince's instructions to see how accurate she had been. Unfortunately, for all but a few potions, she had come woefully short in her ability to predict the proper changes required to maximize the effectiveness and utility of the potion.

"Harry, first of all, we don't know that the Prince is a 'he'," contended Natalie. "And secondly, just because the Prince is a brilliant potion maker, it doesn't mean that he or she is a nice person. For all we know, the Prince could have been obsessed with Dark Magic even though the textbook appears to be perfectly innocent."

"Harry, remember that Riddle's diary in second year also seemed perfectly normal and look what it did," added Hermione, staring disgustedly at the Prince's textbook.

Harry snorted. "You two are fussing over nothing! You're just both jealous that the Prince is better at Potions than either of you."

Natalie clicked her tongue. "No, we're not jealous. The Prince is brilliant, but you don't know who he or she was. Would you have known that Riddle's diary was written by the most malicious and powerful Dark wizard in history?" argued Natalie, starting to become irritated with his intractable position on the Prince.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "I somehow find it hard to believe that the textbook is anything like Riddle's diary. I saw that diary and trust me this book is nothing like it."

"You can't say that for certain," said Natalie, maintaining her firm stance.

"Why don't you just look at it objectively?" proposed Hermione as she flipped through the pages of the book irritably.

Harry grabbed the book out of her grasp. "Okay then, I will," retorted Harry sharply.

He scratched his chin in mock thought. "So then let's see, first of all, this book is from Slughorn's cupboard of old potion textbooks – I'm pretty sure it has never been in the hands of Voldemort. Second of all, this person, as you two love to call him, calls himself the 'Half Blood Prince' – how many Death Eaters would make that title for themselves? And most importantly, all of the spells that I've learned from him so far have been perfectly harmless. Is that reason enough?"

"You're making it sound reasonable, but you're missing the point," said Natalie scornfully.

"What point?" cried Harry, raising his voice. Natalie saw out of the corner of her eyes that a few second years playing chess nearby were now staring at them fearfully.

"Harry, lower your voice," said Natalie, motioning her head to those second years. "The point is that you're blindly using spells designed by a person you don't know at all and more importantly, you have no idea what those spells will do."

Harry shook his head at her in disbelief. "Natalie, the Prince has helped me a lot this year and as I said before, his spells are not Dark Magic."

Natalie sighed. "Just because your father and his friends used one of his spells, it does not legitimize the Prince." She hoped that this approach would help him see that he was being irrational.

Harry gritted his teeth. "This has nothing to do with my father. And please don't bring him into one of our arguments."

Hermione cast Natalie a perplexed glance as if to wonder why she would make that comment. Natalie shrugged her shoulders, believing that honesty was the best option here.

"Harry," said Hermione gently, reaching across to touch Harry's arm. "You may have not liked what Natalie said, but she does –"

"No, Hermione," snapped Harry, retracting his arm from Hermione's reach. "We are not talking about this. And can the two of you please stop nagging me? I am not going to give up the Prince's book."

He lifted himself from his armchair. "I'm going to read this book in my dormitory seeing as I obviously cannot read it here without the two of you on my case." He then marched off to the boys' dormitories.

Natalie snapped her fingers in irritation. "He can be so bloody stubborn," hissed Natalie to Hermione who merely gave her a wry smile.

Looking over Hermione's head, Natalie saw Ron enter the common room, heading eagerly towards them. At supper, he had informed them rather glumly that Lavender had demanded that they study together. Natalie supposed that he finally managed to extract himself from the blonde haired girl's hold given the cheerful expression on his face.

"You look pretty happy," noted Natalie as Ron plopped himself on the settee next to Hermione. "Where's the giant squid?"

"Flitwick said he needed to talk to her about some Charms essay she did horrible on," answered Ron amiably.

Hermione snorted derisively. "So I suppose she actually did need that study help," muttered Hermione acidly.

Ron glanced uneasily at her. "I tried to get her to study but she seemed more interested in –"

"Snogging you senseless," finished Natalie, trying to refrain from smirking.

Ron frowned at her. "You didn't have to put it that way. But yeah, every time I try to avoid her, she seems to take it as some sort of signal that I need her to snog me."

"Then, you shouldn't just avoid her and tell her that you want to break up," said Hermione sharply, glaring at him.

Ron retracted from her blazing glare. "Hermione, I'm trying. It's not like I want her to throw herself at me."

"It didn't seem like that a few months ago," said Hermione witheringly.

Ron sighed. "I was being a right git then," said Ron quietly. "I didn't know what I wanted, but now I do."

Natalie's eyes widened at this powerful affirmation. She had half expected Ron to snap back at Hermione, starting a row. She remained rooted to her seat on the armchair, aware that the other two seemed to have forgotten that she could also hear their conversation.

"Oh," exclaimed Hermione, taken aback by Ron's admission. "Well, you were an idiot," muttered Hermione, her voice completely devoid of the biting contempt she had just expressed.

Ron looked slightly relieved that Hermione had relented in her attack on him. "And I know I've said it before, but I'm really sorry for hurting you," said Ron softly as he still stared into Hermione's surprised eyes.

Natalie had never heard Ron apologize to Hermione; the full bodied vitality of his sincerity both astonished and pleased her. Judging by the way Hermione's features had softened at the apology, Natalie supposed Ron's words aroused the same reaction in Hermione.

Hermione smiled at him. "I know, Ron. But it's difficult though for me to see you with her."

Natalie noticed with a slight startle that they had slid closer to one another on the settee. She was now positively convinced that both were utterly oblivious to their surroundings. Natalie tried to look at the fireplace, keeping her eyes off the two. She did not want to interrupt them with any startling movements, alerting them to her presence. Nevertheless, she could barely suppress her shock. Obviously, the two had progressed much further in her relationship than Hermione had told her or than she had perceived. From Hermione's comment, Natalie inferred that both were well aware of their feelings for one another.

Ron nodded. "I will try to be honest with her. It'll hurt her feelings, but I think she knows that I wasn't thinking straight when I decided to go out with her."

Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder, stroking it soothingly. Ron's cheeks turned a bright red, but he seemed pleased at her touch. Hermione slowly pulled back her hand, smiling at Ron as she slid back to her original position on the couch.

Natalie smiled to herself. No romantic novel or film could have captured the tenderness of that moment. The two were clearly obsessed with one another. Her mind briefly considered placing a memory charm on Lavender so that Ron need not ignite the blonde girl's temper.

Natalie saw Hermione finally notice her and stare at her in alarm. Upon seeing the appalled look on Hermione's face, Ron too also looked at her. His face turned a bright red, matching the colour of Hermione's face.

"Er, Natalie," began Ron cautiously. "You weren't here all that time, were you?"

Natalie turned her head towards them. "I was actually," answered Natalie amusedly. Both of them simultaneously went rigid, avoiding her eyes. "But I only heard the first bit when you were arguing. I was watching the fire and covering my ears for the rest of your, er, encounter," lied Natalie, feeling that they possibly could not look more embarrassed.

"Oh," exclaimed Ron in relief. He now had a slightly sheepish, but pleased expression on his face. Hermione, whose face was still a beet red, narrowed her eyes at Natalie, evidently not believing her.

Avoiding Hermione's skeptical gaze, Natalie looked around the Common room, searching for another subject. She suddenly noticed Harry walking towards from the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories.

"Looks like Harry's back. I guess the Prince's book wasn't that interesting after all," announced Natalie, earning a puzzled glance from Ron and a small chuckle from Hermione.

Harry rolled his eyes at Natalie, lowering himself into the chair besides her.

"What's up with you two?" asked Harry, seeing the flushed looks on Ron and Hermione's faces.

"They just had a slight spat about why Ron should pay more attention to his schoolwork," replied Natalie dismissively. Ron smiled in gratitude at her. Hermione, though not smiling, looked relieved that Natalie had not been honest with Harry.

"Oh," said Harry confusedly. "I thought that you two were trying to convince Ron to tell me to get rid of the Prince's book."

"Oh, that would have made a lot of sense," noted Natalie wryly.

"Why would you want to get rid of the Prince? He's been so much help," blurted Ron indignantly.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, her previous embarrassment quickly evaporating. "Honestly, Ron, please don't tell me that you will give us the same twisted justification Harry just gave us."

"Oh, now it's a twisted justification," said Harry darkly.

Before Hermione retort back, Natalie raised her voice, not wanting another argument. "Listen, Hermione and I don't like the Prince's book. Obviously, the two of you have no problem with him or her so we'll have to agree to disagree. But Harry, please try to be careful about the spells that are written in that book – remember you don't know what they can do."

Hermione huffed in annoyance. "Natalie, you know very well that they're not –"

"Hermione," said Natalie, trying to maintain a firm and authoritave tone. "We're going to have to trust them on this one."

Hermione, still appearing very irritated at being cut off, crossed her arms across her chest, obviously not fully agreeing with Natalie.

Harry shot her a grateful smile. "Thanks for that one."

Natalie rolled her eyes at him. "I still don't like the Prince. Anyhow, the only way the two of you will learn to be more careful if a spell in that book does backfire on one of you."

"We'll thank you for your warning when that does happen," said Ron sarcastically.

Before either Natalie or Hermione could reply, Harry said loudly, "Natalie, when are you supposed to meet Kalissa?"

Natalie realized with a startle that with what happened between Ron and Hermione, she had momentary forgotten about seeing Kalissa tonight. She shot Ron a disdainful look before saying, "I'm supposed to go to McGonagall's office at 8, so in about 20 minutes."

"Where's Kalissa staying?" asked Harry, determined to continue the conversation.

"At the Hog's Head. Kalissa prefers the place because Dumbledore's brother is the owner."

"Oh yeah, I remember him from last year," said Harry. "He was the man at the bar when we held our first meeting of the DA."

Natalie nodded. "Kalissa says that he's one of the older members of the Order. A bit cracked up, but trustworthy."

Glancing at Ron and Hermione, who she had expected to shooting heated glares at another, Natalie noticed with some surprise that Ron had a rather dumfounded and blank expression on his face. Hermione was staring at Natalie in alarm, her eyes shuttling from Ron to Natalie, trying to communicate something.

"Ron, you look pretty confused," said Harry, also puzzled by Ron's reaction. "I thought I told you guys that Dumbledore's brother runs the Hog's Head."

Ron fixed his gaze upon Natalie. "No, it's not that – I remember from last year who he is. It's just – Natalie, why did you call your mother by her first name?" posed Ron, confusion etched all over his face.

"Oh," said Natalie, her stomach dropping. She closed her eyes, berating herself for saying Kalissa's name in Ron's presence. She had no idea how to explain that idiotic error to Ron. Floundering for any type of reasonable explanation, Natalie could only return Ron's blank gaze.

"Natalie calls Kalissa by her name quite frequently, doesn't she, Hermione?" said Harry anxiously. "I'm surprised you've never heard her do that. It's one of their little quirks."

"Yes, though I have to admit I find it a bit disconcerting," said Hermione earnestly, a smile frozen on her face.

"Oh," replied Ron, most of the confusion leaving his face. He still looked slightly unconvinced. "That is a bit off, though. If I started calling my mother 'Molly', I'd be found dead within two minutes."

Harry and Hermione gave shaky laughs. Natalie continued to stare blankly at Ron.

"Er, Natalie, you alright? It was just a joke – no offense," said Ron, looking slightly unnerved under Natalie's dumbfounded gaze.

Suddenly realizing that Ron might be finding her behavior very suspicious, Natalie, with immense effort, managed to lift herself out her numb state. "No, I'm okay, Ron," said Natalie softly. With a surge of trepidation, she could not summon the energy to merely shake her head. "Er, I, um, just realized that I almost forgot that I needed a book for Kalissa. Took me by surprise, that's all."

Ron grinned at her. "That figures, you would get so worked up by a book."

Natalie exhaled in relief as Ron looked away from her to watch a nearby chess match between two second years. An uncomfortable and definitely uneasy silence stretched between her, Harry and Hermione. Though they were relieved that Ron had not become overly suspicious about Natalie's behavior, all three had their eyes focused away from Ron. His observation undoubtedly evoked the numbing realization that of the four of them, he remained the only one to not know of Natalie's past. The burning guilt of that realization entrenched itself in her chest, carving and cutting itself into her perceptions of Ron and herself, tarnishing every memory within the last few weeks of their interactions. If the guilt could blindside her so strongly, she could barely imagine the impact on Harry and Hermione who had known Ron for six years.

Ron turned back to face them, a goofy grin still spread across his face. Upon noticing the tension that had tautened dramatically between the other three, Ron said confusedly, "What's wrong with you three? Natalie, I didn't mean to offen –"

Natalie waved her hands to stop him. The innocence of his obliviousness was only tightening the tension in her chest. "Ron, you didn't offend me at all. I'm just a bit flustered. I'll j-just go now to get that book," stuttered Natalie, motioning her head to her dormitory.

She abruptly stood up, started to head for her dormitories before she tripped on the side of Harry's armchair. Harry quickly and gracefully caught her, staring at her worriedly. Natalie pulled herself away him, not meeting his eyes. She almost ran to the staircase leading to the dormitories, not caring if her panicked reaction drew any inquisitive stares from the rest of the Common room.

Before she reached the staircase, she heard Ron loudly say, "What in the bloody hell is wrong with her?"

Once Natalie reached her dormitory, she almost jumped onto her bed, looking around to make sure Parvati or Lavender were not in the dormitory. Letting out a huge breath, Natalie closed her eyes, her heart still pounding against her chest and her body locked in a rigid, erect state where any slight movement, a wandering of the eyes or a flick of the wrist, seemed to require tremendous energy. She could not rid of herself of the surreal sensation that she was watching herself rapidly implode from a faraway distance. She was quickly losing her sense of the moment, forgetting why she had come to the dormitory and why she felt suffocated under a blanket of numb shock.

Natalie opened her eyes, her gaze slowly falling upon the watch on her left wrist. She noticed, vaguely, she had 15 minutes till she had to go somewhere. She tried to focus, recollecting any sort of memory in her mind, pushing and throwing herself against a seemingly unbreakable wall that trapped her in an empty, vapid daze. Natalie punched her pillows furiously, irate that all she could feel was a scorching, biting fear. After one last punch, an image of a black haired woman with an irrepressible smile punctured through her mind. Kalissa. It was Kalissa she had to meet in 15 minutes. With that thought which induced waves of pleasure, all of Natalie's thoughts and memories flooded back into her mind, crumbling that wall and giving her a clear sense of reassurance.

She remembered Ron's observation. That scorching, biting fear, though it throttled her, did not hold the same note of urgency and despair she had always associated with any recollection of her mother. Thinking of her mother now only aroused a strong revulsion accompanied by a slight unease. Yet, she had never become instantaneously so confused and dazed in response to a small hint at her troubled past. As difficult as she found it to believe, something that resonated more powerfully with her own conscience than her mother had triggered that horrifying numbness.

As if a corner of her mind had finally opened, the discomfort and agitation on Harry and Hermione's faces disseminated through her mind. Her guilt about lying to Ron burned itself again into chest, but from that guilt, a deeper concern for her two friends seemed to spread in twisting and zigzagging tendrils around her body. The concern arrived with the painstaking realization that she had forced her two best friends to lie to a person they cared for deeply, inadvertently hurting themselves. The frantic and almost maniacal nature of such concern wrapped itself in layers around her, trapping her in that erect state.

Natalie smiled somberly. Her friendship with Hermione and relationship with Harry were the two entities that managed to penetrate her conscience at further depths than the knowledge of the identity of her mother. It was immensely uplifting to know that she had progressed so far emotionally since that moment Kalissa had left her in Hogwarts.

Yet, with a sharp and agitated lurch, Natalie remembered Ron. If her guilt blazed and seared through all memories of her and Ron, then she could barely fathom the sheer intensity of the feeling for Harry and Hermione. With another sharp lurch, Natalie realized that there was only way for all of them to be freed from that guilt.

Natalie closed her eyes this time in contemplation, laying her head against her pillow. With Harry, she had told him her secret because her friendship with him had built a foundation of trust. Though she had wrongly assumed that their relationship had settled to a point where it could absorb all the shock and anger of such information, Harry still trusted her enough to not tell anyone else. With Hermione, Natalie knew that much of her confession arose from a desperate desire for acceptance after Harry's outburst. But, Natalie also knew that she would have not confided in Hermione had they not shared the same strength of trust she established with Harry.

Ron, on the other hand, was a completely different case. She had only come to see him as a friend after his poisoning which had been a few weeks ago. Their friendship had yet to evolve to the point where she could decide to tell him about her mother solely on the basis of the trust and security established in that friendship. From that perspective, she concluded that telling Ron would be dangerous and irrational. She knew that upon hearing she was Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter, if he was at all similar to Harry, the immediate reaction would be absolute revulsion.

However, her life was different now. She could not merely look at her situation from the narrow tunnel of her own emotions and rational. Projecting herself into Harry and Hermione's perceptions, she realized that they had long established that strength of faith in Ron. If she could tell Harry and Hermione and if he trusted them, why should she expect him not to divulge her secret? She knew him well enough to know that he would never intentionally do anything to purposefully hurt his friends. Moreover, keeping such a secret would severely undermine Harry and Ron's friendship and even more terrifyingly, slowly deteriorate Hermione's romantic aspirations for Ron. She had an obligation to her friends to protect them from such devastating consequences. Though her mind could not help but cringe at Ron's eventual reaction to her, she had to tell Ron about her past. The inexorable bond between the three people she had come to call friends would hopefully absorb the feelings of shock and betrayal by her confession, but more importantly, she could not bear for either Harry or Hermione to lose Ron.

Natalie sighed. Telling Ron would definitely not be an enjoyable experience, but she would have to do it within the next few days especially since tonight, Ron's omission, which had weighed slightly over Natalie's mind for the past few weeks, had become glaringly obvious and dangerous.

Natalie looked at her watch, realizing with a startle that she only had ten minutes before she had to meet Minerva. Packing her wash kit and clothing for the evening and tomorrow morning into her schoolbag along with a few books, Natalie headed downstairs, fully aware that the other three would be waiting for her.

As she descended the staircase, Natalie saw Harry waiting for her. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, Harry quickly pulled Natalie over to the side, behind the door that opened into the stairs so they were hidden from the rest of the Common room. To Natalie's annoyance, the eager whispers and murmurings in the common room seemed to increase as soon as Harry pulled her away.

"How are you doing?" whispered Harry to her, his worried gaze meeting her eyes.

Natalie smiled at him, touching his shoulder. "I'm fine now. Ron's comment gave me a real shock. I needed some time upstairs to really understand what happened."

Harry chuckled. "I know – I've never seen your face go so blank. You came up with a pretty good excuse though. Hermione wanted to go check on you, but I told her that you needed the time to just let things calm down."

Natalie squeezed his shoulder in gratitude. "Thanks." In a more solemn tone, she said, "About Ron –"

"You don't have to tell him, Natalie. Both Hermione and I can keep the secret," said Harry firmly. However, Natalie could see his eyes darken in evident distress.

Natalie shook her head. "No, Harry. The guilt is terrible for me and I've only known Ron for about 6 months. For you guys, it must be unbearable."

Harry gave her a tight smile. "I won't pretend and say that it's hard for me to not be honest with him. I imagine the same can be said for Hermione, if not worse for her with all they've been through. But it's your secret and it is some pretty big news. Ron is more like me than Hermione so you'd have to expect his reaction to be like mine."

Natalie nodded. "I thought it over and I'm pretty sure his reaction will be a bit like the way you behaved. But Ron trusts you and Hermione with his life and because of that trust, I'm pretty confident that he won't tell anyone else."

Harry looked at her thoughtfully. "You know, I never thought of it like that. If there's one thing about Ron that you can always count on, it's his loyalty."

"Yeah, I figured he would rather jump off a cliff than go against you two."

Harry pursed his lips. "Natalie, it's still a big step for you. You're indirectly trusting that his loyalty to us will hold out. It's a risk."

Natalie smiled. He had interpreted her decision in the exact same way she had. "It's a risk I'm willing to take. I think this risk is much less dangerous than the huge burden placed on your friendships with Ron had I asked you and Hermione to not tell him."

"You sure about wanting to tell him?" asked Harry.

Natalie rolled her eyes at his insistence. "Of course, Harry. Like I've said, I've thought it over and it seems like the right decision to me."

Harry blinked at her. "Thank you," said Harry softly, staring into her eyes.

"For what?" asked Natalie, slightly breathless under his intent gaze.

Harry lifted her chin so that their faces were inches apart. "For taking this risk and putting yourself out there for Hermione and I."

Natalie blushed. "I don't want to lose either of you, do I?" whispered Natalie.

"Don't worry. That will never happen," said Harry before he leaned in to give her a deep kiss.

After a few moments of this pure bliss, in which both their hands had decided to explore, Harry pulled back reluctantly, his eyes sparkling. "Don't you have to go now? I highly doubt McGonagall will be too pleased at what we've been up to."

Natalie laughed. "I'm just glad nobody decided to interrupt us."

"I'm sure Hermione took care of that."

Natalie smiled at the image of Hermione scolding some frightened second year. "Yes, I'm certain she did. Can you tell her that I'm alright? As much as I'd like to stay, I also want to see Kalissa and don't want to incur Minerva's wrath any further."

Harry nodded. "You may go Miss Malkae."

Natalie laughed, giving him one last lingering kiss on the lips before she stepped out from behind the door into the common room, inviting the curiosity of almost the entire Common room. She noticed in some amusement that most of the younger girls were shooting her looks of utmost loathing.

Natalie found Hermione's worried eyes by the fire. She smiled at Hermione, mouthing "I'm okay and we'll talk later." A relieved look crossed Hermione's face before she nodded and motioned to the portrait to indicate that she should go.

Natalie briskly walked across the common room and exited through the portrait. Looking at her watch, she barely had a minute to walk to Minerva's office. She rushed to Minerva's office which was thankfully only a staircase and one corridor away.

Before she could knock on Minerva's door, the door flew open, causing Natalie to stagger into her office, looking at a very bemused Minerva.

"Natalie, I see that Mr. Potter is starting to rub off on you the wrong way. You've arrived in the same manner he usually does for class," said Minerva reproachfully.

Natalie, who was still breathing heavily after her near sprint to Minerva's office, said, "You must have heard me coming."

"How could I not? I daresay most of the Gryffindor common room heard you running down the corridor!"

"Well I didn't want to be late," said Natalie defensively.

Minerva smiled. "And you weren't. But we do have to leave now, Natalie. Aberforth is waiting."

Natalie remembered the irritated expression on the man's face at their tardiness the previous time she met Kalissa. "Yes, we should go. I brought everything for the night."

Minerva nodded, waving her wand. A door suddenly appeared behind Minerva's desk. "We'll be heading through that door," said Minerva, motioning to the door that had just appeared.

"Where does that lead to?" asked Natalie, the surprise evident on her face as she made her way to the door. Minerva opened it, revealing a steep staircase.

"It's a shortcut to the Room of Requirement," They both began to climb the stairs.

"Why we didn't use we that last time?" asked Natalie, still bewildered.

"Albus created it after I explained that with the Aurors and Prefects patrolling the school, I didn't want to take the chance that we would be seen."

"He can do that?" said Natalie, still in awe.

Minerva raised her eyebrows at her. "He is the Headmaster of the School and therefore can control the magical boundaries within the school. As I am sure you have read in –"

"_Hogwarts a History_," finished Natalie. "It's still absolutely brilliant."

Natalie could perceive Minerva smiling next to her. They reached the last steps and entered through another door into the Room of Requirement. On the other side of the room, Natalie recognized the familiar tunnel that led to the Hog's Head.

Seeing the tunnel, the thought occurred to Natalie that the tunnel was a passageway that essentially could lead a person into the school completely undetected. "Er, Minerva, do the Aurors know about this tunnel?"

"No," answered Minerva. "Albus and Aberforth decided that the less people that know about this tunnel, the better it is for the safety of the school."

"But with the type of characters who enter Hog's Head, wouldn't it be better for at least a couple of Aurors to guard it?" pressed Natalie, beginning to feel slightly uneasy about the tunnel.

Minerva shot her an annoyed glance. "Must you always question Professor Dumbledore's judgment?"

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "I thought you can't too careful."

Minerva sighed. "I suppose you are right. I have tried to convince Albus that we should inform members of the Order about the tunnel but he believes it's better that only he and Aberforth know."

"And you trust his judgment," finished Natalie cheekily.

"When did you become so snotty? But yes and you should too as I've said before," said Minerva crossly.

"That wasn't snide – I was just trying to inject some humour into our conversation," said Natalie as she crawled into the tunnel.

"You're spending too much time with Ronald Weasley," muttered Minerva, shaking her head. "Natalie, we should hurry up a bit. We have only about 20 minutes. Aberforth has said that he will close the tunnel off and I trust you remember the length of this tunnel."

"Yes, I do want to see Kalissa," said Natalie, realizing with some anxiety that Aberforth did seem to be the type of person who would close off the tunnel.

"So less talking," said Minerva curtly. "And please move."

They walked at a brisk pace along the tunnel, only pausing to crawl through some of the more narrow parts before arriving in front of a wooden door that barely stood out from the tunnel walls. Minerva knocked three times on the door. The bartender quickly opened the door, urging them inside. Natalie again experienced a slight startle at seeing Dumbledore's rich and vivid blue eyes but without the warmth and sparkle associated with the headmaster.

Aberforth pushed them ahead up the stairs. "She's upstairs – same room as before. There's nobody else on that floor, but make sure nobody sees the girl," hissed Aberforth before he turned on his heel and descended the stairs back to the tavern.

As they walked up the stairs to the third floor where Kalissa was staying, a bubbling giddiness filled Natalie's stomach. She could not wait to find herself immersed in one of Kalissa's bone crushing hugs, hear the superfluous melodies that embellished her voice with a sense of indomitable enthusiasm and most importantly, be able to speak all her thoughts without inhibition.

"Can't wait, can we?" noted Minerva, seeing the dreamy look on Natalie's face.

"I do miss her so much, Minerva. I've spent 16 years of my life with her at my side and this last year, I've only seen her twice," stated Natalie somberly.

"I know Natalie. It's been very hard on her, too," acknowledged Minerva sadly.

Once they reached the third floor, Minerva pointed her wand at the broom closet at the end of the corridor. An elegantly polished oak door appeared as the broom closet vanished. "Let's go," said Minerva to Natalie, a sparkle appearing in her eyes too. Natalie presumed that Minerva must also be very excited to see her best friend.

"You will be staying to talk with us, won't you?" asked Natalie, gazing hopefully at Minerva.

Minerva smiled at her. "Wouldn't you two want to spend the evening alone with each other?"

Natalie shook her head. "Why? There's nothing we can say to each other that we can't say to you. And besides, you are our family."

Minerva turned her eyes from Natalie's fierce gaze. She rubbed her eyes and sniffed. "Thank you, Natalie." Natalie smiled. Despite Minerva's harsh and strict demeanor, she had one of the kindest and softest spirits Natalie had seen.

They arrived at the oak door. Natalie could picture Kalissa waiting impatiently on the other side, undoubtedly ready to throw herself at Natalie. Minerva had barely knocked three times before the door flew open and before Natalie knew what happened, she found herself inhaling the wonderfully familiar flowery scent of Kalissa's hair.

"Whoa, Kalissa. You do need to check it's us," spluttered Natalie through a mouthful of Kalissa's hair.

Kalissa pulled her head back to stare at Natalie. The absolute glow on Kalissa's face overjoyed Natalie. "Honestly, I don't need a secret question to know it's you," cried Kalissa jubilantly.

Kalissa then looked behind her, her smile, if possible, widening further. She kissed Natalie on the forehead before tearing herself from Natalie and leaping like a schoolgirl onto a startled, but very pleased Minerva. Natalie shook her head in astonishment at the women's energy.

"Kalissa, you should really check," reprimanded Minerva though she could barely seem to contain the adoration in her voice.

"Oh what nonsense Minerva!" breathed Kalissa. Seeing the stern look on Minerva' face, Kalissa rolled her eyes. "Oh Minerva, why do you have to spoil the fun? Anyway, alright, I'll make it a memorable question. Who was the first boy you ever kissed?"

Natalie gaped at Minerva. For some reason, she could not picture her austere friend snogging a boy.

Minerva's face had turned an uncharacteristic pink. "Marcus Hutchins in fifth year."

"May 5th, if I remember correctly," reminisced Kalissa, laughing.

"Very well then. You don't need to check Natalie if you know it's me," concluded Minerva, trying to regain her composure.

"Come on the two of you. We only have an evening to enjoy ourselves," urged Kalissa.

Minerva smiled at her. "I want to let the two of you talk alone first."

Natalie groaned. "Oh come on, Minerva. You do remember what I said."

Minerva eyed her cautiously. "I do Natalie, but there must be _some_ things the two of you want to talk about."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. From the way Minerva emphasized "some", Natalie gathered that she too had inferred Kalissa's unstable range of emotions in the letters she had written to Kalissa.

The exchange between Natalie and Minerva had not gone unnoticed by Kalissa. She shot both of them curious glances.

Kalissa waved her hands frantically at the two of them. "Minerva, will you come later at the very least? You are happy to see me, aren't you?"

Minerva smiled at the worried undertone in Kalissa's words. "59 years of friendship and you think I don't want to see you?"

Natalie laughed at the sheepish expression on Kalissa's face.

"I will come later. It's not much of a walk for me anyway," said Minerva consolingly, patting her best friend on the back.

"Very well then," said Kalissa amicably. "All of the safety charms are in place and I also got Aberforth to reluctantly put some house elves on patrol by the staircase."

"House elves?" asked Minerva bemusedly.

"Well did you see them?" said Kalissa, her hands on her hips.

"No, we didn't," answered Natalie.

"Exactly my point. That's the best type of guard," noted Kalissa, smiling triumphantly at both of them.

Natalie and Minerva exchanged amused glances. Natalie wondered whether Minerva was also thinking of a certain bushy haired Gryffindor girl.

Kalissa waved her hands dramatically at them. "What's this new thing about communicating silently with each other?"

"I was just thinking of Hermione – you and her would be able to talk for days about house elves," said Natalie.

"Precisely what I was thinking, Natalie," agreed Minerva. "Well, all the protection charms are in place so I'll be back in about 2 hours."

Kalissa and Natalie nodded, both saying their good-byes. As soon as Minerva walked to the staircase, Kalissa pulled Natalie eagerly into her room. Natalie noticed that the room was slightly larger than last time, likely due to an expanding charm and that a settee and two armchairs had been added.

They sat down on the armchairs, facing one another.

"How are you, Natalie?" asked Kalissa, still beaming.

Natalie grinned at Kalissa's enthusiasm. She wondered how she could cope for months without being subject to that sparkling smile. "I'm doing well – at least better than last time. Harry and I have sorted things out and school is going well."

"Oh so, your schoolwork is an afterthought now?" asked Kalissa.

"No, of course not. I'm sure Minerva has told you that my marks haven't faltered," said Natalie indignantly.

Kalissa laughed. "Oh Natalie! I was merely joking. Minerva has informed me much to my pleasure that you are doing well and that particularly, she feels that having this Miss Granger as your friend is pushing both of you quite nicely."

"It's always nice to have a friend who's just as obsessed with the same subjects."

Kalissa nodded. "It was like that for Minerva and myself as well."

Kalissa, then in a more solemn tone, said, "I've also heard from Albus and Minerva about some of your _adventures_ in the last week."

Natalie looked away as Kalissa's eyes scrutinized her. "Oh come on, Kalissa. It was no different than what happened at Christmas."

Kalissa crossed her arms across her chest, the radiant smile leaving her face. "How was it similar to Christmas besides the fact that you fought one of the Lestranges again? I was not there and neither was Minerva or even Albus." Kalissa's voice rose dramatically on the last words.

Natalie glared at Kalissa. "One of the members of the Order was in grave danger. If we'd not helped Remus, then she would have likely died or been taken to Voldemort."

"Nymphadora Tonks, I believe?" questioned Kalissa.

"Yes, Kalissa. An Auror who also works for the Order," muttered Natalie through gritted teeth.

"And who's also your cousin," said Kalissa, a grim smile tugging at her lips.

Natalie stared in disbelief at her. "Kalissa, the fact that she was my cousin had nothing to do with our decision to go after."

Seeing the unconvinced look on Kalissa's face, Natalie said more emphatically, "Kalissa, you know me. I wouldn't do something so dangerous just because of Bellatrix. Tonks needed our help."

Kalissa smiled at her. "I know it's not about Bellatrix. I just wanted to see your reaction after I mentioned your connection to Nymphadora."

Natalie was now the one furiously crossing her hands over her chest. "Kalissa!"

"It was the only way I could tell if knowing who Nymphadora was really affected your judgment," said Kalissa reasonably.

"Oh Kalissa, I'm sure there must have been other ways!"

Kalissa raised her hands to calm Natalie. "Listen to me. I understand why you and Hermione attacked those Death Eaters. I am very proud of you for having that courage and also for apprehending the Death Eaters. As I am sure others have told you already, it still was a dangerous decision. When I heard of what happened and specifically which Death Eaters fought, I almost fainted in shock at that moment."

Natalie groaned. "Harry said you would react like that."

Kalissa raised her eyebrows. "I'm glad he knows me so well seeing as how I've never met him."

Natalie laughed. "He also had a pretty, er, strong reaction to what we did."

"Of course he did. He is your boyfriend, isn't he?" said Kalissa amicably as Natalie blushed.

Kalissa continued in a more serious tone. "Natalie, I would have likely made the same decision had I been in your position but I want to know that you appreciate the consequences of making a decision like that. These are Death Eaters, people who would take great pleasure in seeing y-your d-death." Kalissa's voice quivered on the last two words.

Natalie met Kalissa's worried gaze, her eyes becoming slightly wet. She placed her hand on top of Kalissa's hand. "I know, Kalissa. Being your daughter, why would I expect anything less from the Death Eaters?" whispered Natalie.

Tears streamed down Kalissa's cheeks. She grabbed Natalie in a tight hug. "Natalie, this has been so hard – being away from you."

Natalie nodded, again reveling in the refreshing scent of Kalissa's hair. "We're getting through this alive, aren't we?"

"We are," breathed Kalissa, strengthening her hold on Natalie.

"I'm not making it easy, though, given that I'm dating Harry Potter?" said Natalie cheekily.

Kalissa laughed as she loosened her hold on Natalie and they both pulled out of the hug. "No, you aren't, but I've never seen you so happy and confident."

Natalie grinned at her. "I have to admit being with Harry has done wonders for me. It was hard for him to accept that I'm Bellatrix's daughter, but we've talked about it a lot and he's helped me quite a bit."

Kalissa brushed the strands of hair that had become loose from Natalie's ponytail. "I've noticed tonight. When I mentioned Nymphadora, you were pretty defiant about Bellatrix. And I've never heard you say her name so much."

"She doesn't dominate my thoughts as much. The shame or regret is not nearly as strong or powerful," explained Natalie happily.

"You should have never have felt any shame or regret in the first place," stated Kalissa quietly.

Natalie smiled at her. "So how are you Kalissa?"

"The new place is treating me very well and no problems so far," answered Kalissa, shifting her gaze from Natalie's face to a point just above Natalie's shoulder.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Kalissa, I know you as well as you know me. And judging by your last letter, something is indeed bothering you."

Kalissa sighed. "You are right."

"Is this Order related?" asked Natalie tentatively.

"Not necessary," replied Kalissa cryptically. "Though it may be in the future."

Natalie decided to press further. "Professor Dumbledore? About Harry?"

Kalissa appraised Natalie, evidently considering whether she should tell her. After a few moments of thoughtful silence in which Natalie impatiently clasped and unclasped her fingers, Kalissa nodded.

"Fine," said Kalissa softly. "Do you remember when you told me about the picture of Lily Evans and Severus Snape?"

"Yes," said Natalie, remembering the conversation. "Minerva and Professor Dumbledore were also there too."

"And do you remember what Albus said about Severus' feelings for her?" continued Kalissa.

Natalie closed her eyes, trying to picture that conversation. "I'm not sure, but he said something along the lines that he cared very much for her."

"More than a friend," added Kalissa.

Natalie nodded. From that picture, the young Snape appeared to be completely enthralled by Lily Evans.

And then it struck Natalie. Lily Evans was Harry's mother. Harry, who barely knew anything about his parents, had no idea his mother had become very close with the man who he absolutely loathed. And Natalie was aware of this alarming truth. Harry craved for any tidbit of information about his parents even if the information was unpleasant and shocking. He would be outraged if he ever found out that she had neglected to share this information would him.

"Natalie?" asked a confused Kalissa. Natalie heard her but could not respond.

The familiar stinging guilt cut itself into Natalie's chest. All of the jubilation and ecstacy at seeing Kalissa seemed to escape her instantly. She was not completely shocked, but deflated and exhausted at being so woefully ignorant that she had been hiding this secret for almost two months.

"Natalie!" cried Kalissa, frantically now shaking her.

Natalie shook her head, looking into Kalissa's distressed eyes.

She smiled at Kalissa, realizing that to Kalissa, the glazed look in her eyes may have given the very wrong impression that she become senile. "I'm okay Kalissa," said Natalie, releasing herself from Kalissa's death grip and smiling reassuredly at her guardian's ashen face.

Still seeing that the terror on Kalissa's face had not been appeased, Natalie explained calmly, "When you mentioned Snape's feelings for Lily Evans, I immediately thought about the picture I saw and how in that picture, there was no doubt that Snape had romantic feelings for Lily. And for some reason, just now, it hit me that Lily was Harry's mother and that shouldn't he at least deserve to know this about her?"

The colour slowly returned to Kalissa's cheeks as she stood up. "And you're feeling guilty about not telling him and worried that when he does find out, he won't be too happy with you."

Natalie nodded, lowering her face to her hands. "How did I not see this before? I really am an idiot, aren't I? And I still don't know what to do," moaned Natalie through her hands.

"You're not an idiot, Natalie, just obsessed with a boy," said Kalissa waspishly.

"Kalissa! This is very serious," said Natalie indignantly.

Kalissa laughed. "Oh Natalie, I am so glad that I never got involved in a serious relationship. But the decision to tell Harry is in your hands. I'm going to make us some tea, seeing as all this heavy chatter has made me quite thirsty."

"What about the subject that was worrying you?"

Kalissa stroked her chin contemplatively. "After this display, I think you may be, er, too fragile for that subject."

"Kalissa!" snapped Natalie. "You know I don't like it when you lead me on."

Kalissa gave her one last mischievous smile before gliding behind the door by the bed to the small makeshift kitchen.

Natalie clicked her tongue in annoyance at Kalissa's playfulness. Her mind returned back to Harry and Snape. She could still not believe that she had never appreciated the full gravity of concealing Lily and Snape's friendship from Harry, let alone Snape's feelings for her. Natalie sighed. Tonight certainly was becoming a night of revelations.

Looking back to when Snape had showed her the picture in his office, Natalie supposed that because she and Harry were not talking at the time, the guilt of hiding that information from Harry had not resonated strongly enough with her to force her to consider whether she should have abided by Snape's promise. Still, since their fight had ended, she and Harry did often talk about Snape and yet, that picture never crossed her mind during one of those conversations. She must have not emotionally made the significant connection between Snape and Lily's friendship and Harry.

However, Natalie conceded that at least now, the guilt had finally struck her. Unlike with Ron though, an uncertainty lingered; Natalie could not see a clear solution to this problem. She made the promise to Snape. As much as Harry was Lily's son, the picture belonged to Snape and Lily had been his friend. The decision to inform Harry should lie with the former Potions Master. Therefore, Natalie concluded, with a tinge of relief, that she had not been wholly wrong in not telling Harry.

Natalie knew that keeping this information from Harry would be a burden for her. But had not others also concealed the relationship? Natalie was almost certain that the friends of Harry's parents, such as Remus and Sirius Black, would have known about their friendship, yet, they obviously chose not to enlighten Harry. More importantly, Dumbledore definitely was aware of the friendship as well as Snape's feelings for Lily, but he had neglected to share this information with Harry, likely because of a promise to Snape. Natalie let out a breath of frustration. On the basis of being Lily's son, Harry deserved to know about Snape, but the secret was ultimately the man's secret to disclose or hold. She did not know what would be more difficult; revealing her mother's identity to Ron or preventing Harry from knowing something quite revealing and shocking about his mother.

After a few more moments of Natalie's brooding, Kalissa came back into the main room, two mugs of hot tea in her hands. She handed one mug to Natalie and sat down in the opposing armchair.

"So Natalie, have you had enough time to think about your absolutely dire predicament?" posed Kalissa melodramatically.

Natalie sipped her tea. "Can you stop being sarcastic? I think this is quite serious."

"Natalie, I can't help you here," said Kalissa more seriously, the mischievous glint leaving her eyes.

Natalie grimaced. "As much as I wish you could, I know it isn't your place to tell me what to do here."

"What's the plan?"

Natalie breathed slowly before answering Kalissa. "I want to tell Harry and I feel that he deserves to know at least something about his mother and Snape, but it's not my secret to tell. The only person who should be telling Harry about this is Snape himself."

Kalissa frowned. "The reasoning sounds pretty objective, but you will have to hide this information from Harry when you now realize how important it could be to him."

Natalie grimaced. "It's not going to be easy." Though Natalie believed she had made the most logical and morally agreeable decision, she could not shake off the corroding guilt that eroded at her enthusiasm. She felt like a punctured Muggle tire, slowly leaking out air.

"Natalie, you have matured quite a bit. If I'd known Hogwarts would have been so good for you, I would have sent you a long time ago," remarked Kalissa, undeniable pride lacing her voice.

Natalie laughed at her, the admiration in Kalissa's voice s lifting her spirits. "Getting back, what were you saying about Snape and Lily Evans that troubled you?"

The mischievous glint returned to Kalissa's eyes. "Natalie, I don't know if you'd be able to handle my own troubles when you have so much bothering you."

Natalie took a large sip of her tea, waving her other hand dismissively at Kalissa. "Don't think that I'm falling for your crafty little equivocation."

"Crafty equivocation? That's certainly a new phrase. I had no idea they were teaching the intricacies of the English language in Hogwarts now," said Kalissa dryly.

"Well, they aren't and can we please we get to the point? After reading your last letter, I was really worried about you, Kalissa," said Natalie, trying to sound as firm as possible.

"I wasn't that obvious in the letter, was I?" remarked Kalissa, her smile faltering.

"Let's see Kalissa. You talked about over-cooked roast beef in 4 paragraphs, repeated your questions regarding Harry about 5 times and forgot to ask me about my schoolwork which I don't think has ever happened in my entire life. You have never sounded so irrational and incongruent so yes, I was worried Kalissa."

"I have to remind myself to check those letters," said Kalissa, more to herself than Natalie.

"Kalissa!" exclaimed Natalie. "Something is bothering me and obviously, you can tell me."

Kalissa sighed. "Yes, it is bothering me and I think you need to know this as well."

"Well?" asked Natalie, looking eagerly at Kalissa as she placed her empty mug on the table in front of them.

Kalissa rolled her eyes at Natalie as she also placed her mug down. "Alright – about Severus and Lily Evans, I told you that Albus indicated that he knew about Severus' feelings for Lily?"

Natalie nodded, the guilt still tearing at her stomach.

"Albus had never mentioned this to me before even though I taught both of them. And afterwards, when we were discussing Order things and you were in the other room, I asked Albus about Severus and Lily. He merely avoided the subject, just saying that they were friends and that it was not the main reason Severus became a spy for the Order."

"But you didn't believe him," observed Natalie.

"Of course I didn't! Albus had already hinted that Severus had romantic feelings for her. Why wouldn't that be the motivation for Severus to join the Order, especially when Lily had been marked for death around the same time Severus became a spy?"

Natalie frowned. "Why would Professor Dumbledore not want to tell you?"

"I believe that Severus probably made Albus promise to not tell anyone about his reasons for joining the Order, but I have sufficient reason to believe those motivations are important to know."

"What do you mean 'they're important to know'?" asked Natalie though she sensed she already knew the answer.

"Since I went into hiding, I've been doing some research, looking at various books and my own Arithmancy notes, trying to find out exactly why Voldemort's curse rebounded on him the night he went after the Potters. And it's –"

"Based on circumstantial Arithmancy," completed Natalie, smiling triumphantly at Kalissa.

Kalissa gaped at her. "How do you know?"

"Kallisa, there are books on Hogwarts about how the Killing curse works," said Natalie airily.

"But how would you know that circumstantial Arithmancy may explain the rebounding of the curse?" asked Kalissa, her face still drenched in shock.

Natalie then proceeded to explain their investigation into the protection Lily cast on Harry and how they had arrived at the conclusion that circumstantial magic seemed to be the only type of magic that could change the structure of the Killing Curse in an alternative universe. Kalissa nodded along, assenting her agreement, but she still held this puzzled expression on her face.

"Kalissa, what's not making sense?" posed Natalie, noticing the confused expression.

"Why were the four of you trying to study Lily's protection anyway?" said Kalissa, her eyes narrowed.

Natalie paused, remembering that she promised Harry to ask Kalissa about the Horcruxes. "Well, Dumbledore gave this assignment to Harry to get information from Slughorn about –"

"Horcruxes?" interrupted Kalissa.

"Yes," said Natalie, a grin spreading across her face. "Do you know what they are?"

"I have an idea what Voldemort wants to do with them, but Albus told me that he'd like Harry to get those memories from Slughorn before he explains to Harry what Voldemort's doing with the Horcruxes."

"Oh, so you're not going to tell me," said a very dismayed Natalie.

"No, Natalie. I agree with Albus on this one – we need to know exactly what Slughorn told Riddle before we can disclose how he intends to use the Horcruxes."

"How do you know about these Horcruxes anyway?" asked Natalie suspiciously.

Kalissa raised her eyebrows at her. "Don't look so suspicious Natalie. Albus and I have mulled the idea for years, but for so long we had almost no concrete evidence besides a very crude memory from an extremely embarrassed man to prove that Voldemort is using Horcruxes."

"So evidence has come up?" said Natalie, seeing the slight opening in Kalissa's veiled in description.

Kalissa smiled at her. "Still as astute as ever. Yes, Natalie. Something important did occur that has led us to believe Voldemort knows about and is using Horcruxes."

"Oh, ok. You don't have to tell me exactly what they are, but Horcruxes help to make him immortal, don't they?" said Natalie innocently.

Kalissa laughed at her. "Don't think that I can't recognize that little sneaky attempt to seduce me into believing that you actually knew what Horcruxes were. I personally helped Albus remove all the books containing any mention of Horcruxes from the Hogwarts library when we first learned Riddle had been trying to find out about them."

"Am I at least close?" said Natalie pleadingly.

Kalissa sighed. "You are close with what you said." She shook her head at the triumphant grin on Natalie's face. "That's all I'm saying, though."

"So about circumstantial magic, you also think that the context surrounding Lily's death helped give that strength of protection," said Natalie.

"Yes, I'm thinking more about what happened to Lily in the time period between the moment Voldemort learned of the prophecy and the moment she died."

"And you believe Snape is an important part of this context," concluded Natalie.

Kalissa nodded. "If Snape had very powerful romantic feelings for her and if those feelings forced him to become a spy for the Order to help her, then according to circumstantial magic and circumstantial Arithmancy, those feelings will give quite a large amount of magical power to Lily's own love for her son."

"You've done the calculations, I suppose?"

Kalissa sighed. "I've tried to at the very least. Essentially, I've done calculations for the aspects of the context that I know would make Lily's situation unique – the prophecy of course, the fact that the person cast the Killing Curse was the darkest wizard in recent history, the probable use of Horcruxes by Voldemort, Lily's Muggle background, the Fidelius charm that briefly protected the Potters, the betrayal by Peter Pettigrew and lastly, the location of the murders which is Godric's Hollow, the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor."

"All of those things are unique?" asked Natalie, slightly perplexed that others targeted for death by Dark wizards had not decided to hide under the Fidelius charm or had never been betrayed.

"I know what you're thinking. The Fidelius charm was initially intended to keep information within small groups of people – you could call it as a magical way to swear people to secrecy. Only recently have we discovered that the charm can be modified to hide a location and therefore act as a protection charm. The Potters were one of the first few to hide under the Fidelius charm. As for the prophecy, many prophecies have been made historically, but rarely do prophecies predict that one person will 'vanquish' another which is why I think the prophecy was such a shock to Voldemort and caused him to act so carefully," explained Kalissa.

"About Peter Pettigrew, surely others have been betrayed?"

Kalissa grimaced. "But almost never by a close friend who they had entrusted with their lives."

"Oh," said Natalie, anger rising at the thought of Pettrigrew's horrible act. "So all of these unique things have equations, then I suppose."

"Ah," said Kalissa, her eyes sparkling. "In Hogwarts, they only teach you about systems in 7th year."

"Systems?" said Natalie, her interest piquing.

Kalissa smiled. "I'll give a basic background as the entire topic of systems is quite complex. A system is the Arithmancy technique we use to describe events. Effectively in a system, you have a set of variables but there's no fixed number of equations to allocate these variables. Consequently, there are many ways to sort those variables into different numbers of equations. For example, if we had ten variables, in that one system which consists of the ten variables, we may have anywhere from one equation to ten equations. In addition to those ten arrangements, there are many more arrangements depending on which variable is sorted into which equation and also on which operations we decide to use for the various equations. If we can decide upon a reasonable approximation of the variable, then for each equation, we can obtain a value by merely carrying out the mathematical equations involving the substituted values of the variables. And for each arrangement, there is a net value which is a sum of all the equation values. The net value effectively will tell you the amount of magical energy associated with whatever you're studying or in our case, a specific set of circumstances. Now, as you might expect, among the arrangements, depending on how the equations are formed and which operations are used with certain variables, the net value will be different for different arrangements. "

"Amazing," muttered Natalie. "So I'm supposing for each of those unique things, you have a variable, but all those variables are in one system."

"Precisely," stated Kalissa. "Approximating the values of the variables was not that difficult because I just used the basic guidelines of circumstantial Arithmancy. However, designing all the combinations of equations that could reasonably be used took some time – fortunately there are spells that will list the different combinations, but I still have to decide on the operations that can be considered. Anyway, when I finally managed to list all the net values of these arrangements, the highest net value did not translate into a magical energy that could change the Killing Curse."

"How would you know how much energy you need to change the Killing Curse?"

"I expected you to ask that," noted Kalissa amusedly. "Alright, this year, you must have learned about the type of equations that govern most magic?"

Natalie nodded. "Equations with only constants, those with one variable and many constants and those with multiple variables and constants," listed Natalie.

"Only one equation for a given spell, correct Natalie?" said Kalissa.

"Because a magical spell only has one type of magical energy."

"The Killing Curse has three equations, each with different variables," said Kalissa, eying Natalie for a reaction.

"What?" exclaimed Natalie. "That does not make sense. A spell cannot have more than one type of energy."

Kalissa laughed. "Arithmancy always has exceptions. In this case, the Killing Curse may be the only exception to the rule."

"But how does that work?"

"As you have found out Natalie, the Killing Curse is very unique. First of all, the magical power, taken from the pure hatred of the caster, has to fuse and coalesce in an alternative universe. As well, the curse creates a contract that the connection between the two people involved in the curse can occur only in that period of time and as a consequence of this contract, there is no physical remnant of the curse. Each of these features has a different magical energy – the first one, derived from the caster's ruthless hatred, is dark magic, the second one that creates the magical contract is the magic we associate with magical oaths or ancient magic."

"Then two equations are for dark magic and ancient magic," enumerated Natalie. "But you said there were three equations?"

"This is where it becomes interesting," said Kalissa excitedly. "The third equation effectively sets limits and conditions for the values of the variables of the other two equations. Therefore the Killing Curse theoretically may be modified by altering the limits described by the third equation."

"Then Lily's protection basically changed that third equation," concluded Natalie. Natalie could not help but feel that Kalissa was slowly arriving at a very important revelation.

"Yes. From what happened that night, I estimated an approximate amount of magical power that would be required to cause the curse to rebound back at Voldemort, effectively reversing the conditions of the first equation. As well, there is a mental and emotional connection between Voldemort and Harry that implies the limits of the second equation were extended rather dramatically."

"That must be a huge amount of energy," said Natalie in slight awe at how much power could be stored in a simple sacrifice.

"It is," confirmed Kalissa. "But, given the extreme rare circumstances surrounding Lily's death, I hypothesized that there might have been just enough magic to cause all those alterations to the Killing Curse."

"It wasn't though," said Natalie slowly, recognizing the disdainful way Kalissa had said 'hypothesized.' Kalissa did not take errors in her Arithmancy estimations very lightly.

"No, I was wrong," muttered Kalissa. "Just with the circumstances I'd mentioned, the magical energy seemed to be quite short of what was required. All my estimations and calculations about Lily's circumstances made sense and as you know, determining the amount of magical energy required a curse is far more exact so I wasn't too worried about the subjectivity of that calculation."

"But then you heard about Snape and Lily," stated Natalie, smiling in understanding at Kalissa.

Kalissa returned her smile. "Exactly. When Albus mentioned their friendship and hinted at his feelings the last time you were here, it immediately hit me that this dynamic between Severus and Lily could have the potential to add the necessary magical energy to Lily's protection. If Severus, due to his feelings for Lily, had any type of significant relevance in the surrounding context of Lily's death, then the romantic love would be very powerful in augmenting the magical power of Lily's love for Harry. Romantic love, in Arithmancy terms, adds variables with very high minimum boundaries so consequently, any substituted value of the variable will make a considerable difference in the net value of the system."

"That does make sense," said Natalie, barely containing her excitement. "But how do you define 'significant relevance'?"

"Ah, that was a bit vague, wasn't it? I suppose any act on his part that affected Lily's fate would be considered relevant. Specifically, I am thinking that he turned spy to help protect her. This large sacrifice on his part would be a very powerful way for the magical energy of the romantic love to be added to Lily's protection. But there's also another theory I have that if true, would show Severus' role in the protection absolutely essential."

"What?" Natalie asked sharply.

Kalissa nodded. "Did Harry tell you and the others the reason Lily's death could provide protection at all?"

Natalie frowned, considering the question before realizing Kalissa's line of thinking. "Because she was given a choice to live if she let Harry die but she chose death and the protection was in a way, 'allowed to exist.'"

"And why do you suppose she was given a choice?" asked Kalissa with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Oh," exclaimed Natalie. She slapped her hand against her forehead. The answer to her question a few weeks ago had been staring right at her.

"Do you see what I'm saying?" said Kalissa with a triumphant grin.

"Snape asked Voldemort to keep Lily alive?" said Natalie, gaping. "But t-then, that would mean he knew about the prophecy- would Voldemort trust him so much as to tell him?"

Kalissa sighed. "The openness, I admit, is a bit puzzling. The Voldemort I know, or Tom Riddle, would not divulge such a secret to anybody, but I believe Snape managed to ingratiate himself into the innermost Death Eater circles, perhaps through several notable connections like Lucius Malfoy or your mother. If I remember correctly, as a student, he was not widely popular among the Slytherins, but they all seemed to hold him in an unusually high regard given his poor, half blood heritage. And perhaps, Voldemort felt that if he told a few of his Death Eaters about the prophecy, they could provide him with expendable bodies to infiltrate the Order and seek the Potters."

"There seems to be no other reason as to why a Muggle born firmly set against Voldemort and the Death Eaters would be given a choice to live," said Natalie slowly.

"Yes. And if Snape indeed did ask for Voldemort to spare Lily's life, then Snape's feelings for Lily would add the energy of romantic love in the most powerful, optimum equation to the circumstances surrounding Lily's death and hence her protection."

"Ok, that does explain a lot," affirmed Natalie. "So you know or at least have a very probable idea of why Lily's protection was able to change the Killing Curse. The question then is –"

"How we use all this knowledge to defeat Voldemort?" posed Kalissa knowingly.

"Kalissa, you know me too well," said Natalie, laughing.

"I have known you for 16 years; one year does not make me a stranger. And plus, you think like me," said Kalissa, winking at her. "But yes, I've thought of that question. We can use this knowledge to eliminate the connection between Voldemort and Harry."

"How would you do that?" asked Natalie.

Kalissa sighed. "This is where it becomes very subjective, not that it already isn't. I believe we can reverse or change some of the unique circumstances surrounding Lily's death. In changing those circumstances, we basically reduce the magical energy associated with that context, returning the limits of the variables of the second equation to their original values."

"When you mean change certain circumstances, you're talking –"

"Well, the Horcruxes to start off – destroying them would render that part of the context irrelevant," said Kalissa calmly. "Capturing and bringing Peter Pettigrew to justice would be another one and perhaps, getting Severus to confront Voldemort about Lily- effectively a reverse of his plea to let her live."

Natalie nodded, thinking excitedly that all but the last one seemed possible. "You said that changing or reversing those parts of Lily's context would change the limits of the second equation – the one about the magical contract – but what about the first equation?"

Kalissa grinned at her. "That's where it becomes very convenient. The changes to the first equation cannot be modified simply because Lily's sacrifice cannot be reversed."

Natalie returned the grin, the gravity of that statement dawning on her. "And the protection associated with that sacrifice still stays with Harry."

"Precisely," asserted Kalissa. "If Voldemort tries to kill Harry, without a connection between the two of them, the Killing Curse should rebound on him."

Natalie frowned. Something did not click with Kalissa's statement. She paused, trying to find the contradiction or flaw in Kalissa's description that she sensed. Then it occurred to her. "Kalissa, there was no connection when Harry was a baby and the curse rebounded on Voldemort. So why wasn't he killed?"

"Albus and I presume that the Horcruxes helped Voldemort achieve something close to immortality so his soul was not completely stripped by the Killing Curse," responded Kalissa.

"Wouldn't that mean that the rebounded curse would not kill Voldemort if the Horcruxes are not destroyed?" asked Natalie, feeling again that she could not see a simple fact.

"Didn't I say that the Horcruxes will have to be destroyed to erase the connection?" said Kalissa, giving Natalie a wry smile.

"Oh," exclaimed Natalie, her face flushing. "How did I miss that?"

"It happens sometimes," said Kalissa airily, waggling her eyebrows playfully at Natalie. "Returning to what I was saying, successfully removing this link between Voldemort and Harry will in essence allow Harry to use his mother's protection to kill Voldemort when they do have their confrontation."

"So there's a lot to do before Harry can actually try to kill Voldemort," noted Natalie in dismay. She could not help but feel overwhelmed at all Kalissa had told her.

"Well, Natalie, you have to remember that all I've said are my theories and especially the part about Severus and Lily. But at least, we're have an idea as to how he can be killed," pointed Kalissa, smiling at her. "And at the very least, that's a strong start."

"Does Professor Dumbledore know all of the circumstantial Arithmancy behind Lily's protection?" said Natalie though she sensed the answer.

The dazzling and excited glimmer in Kalissa's eyes quickly disappeared. A distinct and uncharacteristic somberness clouded those eyes. The creases and wrinkles on Kalissa's forehead seemed to suddenly emerge, pushing away the happy, satisfied glow that constantly permeated her face, to reveal a wearisome concern and distress. For one of the few times in her life, Kalissa appeared to be 70 years old.

"I'm supposing that he does not know or does not want to know," stated Natalie quietly, trying to contain her own alarm at seeing this sudden agitation in Kalissa.

Kalissa nodded. "I've seen him a few times over the last few months. I've told him my theories and why I need to know about Severus' background with Lily. Albus seems to agree with my ideas about circumstantial magic making Lily's protection so powerful, but he refuses to tell me anything about Severus. Nor do I believe that he feels trying to reverse the circumstances is the most effective way to allow Harry to use Lily's protection. Having known Albus so long, I can almost always tell when he's avoiding the subject at hand or trying to equivocate."

Natalie looked at Kalissa in astonishment. Kalissa's hypothesis seemed perfectly plausible. Dumbledore clearly indicated that he knew of Severus' infatuation with Lily yet he chose not to take the circumstantial magic behind her sacrifice seriously. "Why?" said Natalie softly.

"Natalie, I have no actual no idea why he does not agree with me," whispered Kalissa, running a hand through her hair agitatedly. "My first inclination would be that the entire subjectivity of my approximations for the amount of energy conferred from all of the unique facets of Lily's situation put Albus off. But as I've said, circumstantial magic seems to be the only logical way in which that connection between Harry and Voldemort could have been established. And Albus has never been one to doubt an explanation merely because it was not objective. And moreover, Albus knows about Severus and that night you were here, he blatantly suggested he knew of Severus' feelings. To me, it seems my explanation should make perfect sense for him."

"But Albus has not been very forward recently," continued Kalissa, her tone more grave and solemn as she stared into space. "He's always a bit cryptic, but this year, it just seems that he's hiding something."

"What do you think he's hiding?" asked Natalie intently. She surmised from Harry that the Headmaster had always been quite clandestine.

Kalissa returned from her reverie to look contemplatively at Natalie. "There are so many things. First of all, his hand, though he has told me how he became injured, he has not told me how severe the injury is – you've noticed I'm sure that the condition of his hand has only become worse. And there's also this terrible ordeal with the attacks happening at the school – I believe one of the Weasleys, your friend, almost died from one of them."

Natalie gulped, remembering Ron's limp form on that hospital bed. "Yes, Minerva says that Dumbledore has control of the situation, but it just seems odd that two people nearly died and he has not caught the culprit."

"Albus always knows what's going on in the castle," stated Kalissa forcefully, her tone hardening. "If he could realize when I was at Hogwarts that Tom Riddle was behind the Chamber of Secrets attacks as well as all the other things Riddle concocted, then he can easily determine who is behind these attacks."

"If he knew then, why would he not have that person or people expelled and sent to Azkhaban?" cried Natalie, outraged.

"Exactly," stated Kalissa. "My hunch is that Albus knows who is behind these attacks, but he wants to keep the identity of the person hidden for some reason." She raised her hands to stop Natalie's protests. "I know Natalie, it's manipulative and wrong to do that, but Albus, if anything, will make sure that person does not try anything so reckless again even if he's trying to hide the person."

"It's still playing with other people's lives. He has no right to do that," said Natalie angrily. Upon hearing Kalissa, her immense respect for the Headmaster was diminishing slightly. To risk the death of others to further his own cause suggested a cold, unsympathetic arrogance that Natalie could hardly believe the Headmaster possessed.

Kalissa grimaced. "If that is indeed what he is doing, then I have to say it is wrong – that person does not deserve to be kept hidden."

Natalie wondered whether she should confess Harry's suspicions to Kalissa. "Er, Kalissa, you don't have any idea who might have been behind the two attacks, do you?"

Kalissa raised her eyebrows at her, clearly recognizing the leading edge to Natalie's question. "You have an idea? Or maybe Harry does?" said Kalissa, shooting Natalie a mischievous grin.

Natalie sighed. "Harry thinks that it may be Malfoy. At the beginning of the year, he heard Malfoy telling his friends that he had become a Death Eater and that he has some big task from Voldemort to carry out. It gets even stranger because in December, Harry and I heard Snape telling Malfoy that he made an Unbreakable vow in front of Malfoy's mother to protect Malfoy or something along those lines."

"But you don't believe it's Malfoy," stated Kalissa, noting the skepticism underlining Natalie's words.

Natalie shook her head. "It just does not seem to fit. Ok, maybe Malfoy became a Death Eater, but Voldemort would not be stupid enough to entrust him with an important task."

Kalissa stroked her chin, assessing Natalie's words. "I agree with you somewhat – the Voldemort I know would never rely on a 17 year old boy to carry out important deeds. Severus' Unbreakable vow is surprising but not shocking – protecting the boy would seem not to conflict with his obligation to Dumbledore, but it's a still dangerous move on Severus' part with what the vow entails. Still with the attacks, could Malfoy not be acting by himself, perhaps seeking revenge for his father's arrest?"

"Malfoy could be, but he doesn't seem like the type who has the spirit to try to kill someone. And anyway, wouldn't Voldemort be upset with him if he was acting by himself?"

"Yes, Voldemort would be upset," agreed Kalissa. "Though, Natalie, be careful to judge people by their reputation. Malfoy is clearly desperate – his father is in Azkhaban, destroying the family reputation and he is no doubt being pressured by Bellatrix to restore honour to the family name. Desperate people can do some horrible things."

"You don't honestly think Harry is right?" said Natalie apprehensively.

Kalissa looked at her carefully. After a few moments, Kalissa spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, "No, I don't think Harry's right. However, judging by how many Aurors are stationed at Hogwarts, both attacks would have required to be orchestrated by somebody the Aurors would overlook as a threat so then we cannot rule out Malfoy."

"But if it was Malfoy, Snape would know and so then would Professor Dumbledore," said Natalie, connecting the dots.

Kalissa's facial expression darkened. "Yes, but Albus will do anything to protect his students and if it is Malfoy, he will make sure the attacks are halted. But it still shows that Albus is –"

"Hiding too much," completed Natalie in frustration. "By the way, how did he injure his hand?

Kalissa looked away from her. "It has to do with the Horcruxes, but I've agreed with Albus not to tell you about the Horcruxes until Harry has extracted that memory from Slughorn."

"Kalissa, come on!" protested Natalie vehemently.

Kalissa, for the first time since they mentioned Dumbledore, gave a bright smile. "Well, then make sure Harry gets a move on and find a way to persuade Horace."

"I will," said Natalie determinedly, noting that Harry had been slightly too preoccupied with indicting Malfoy than figuring how to woo the memory out of Slughorn.

"Fine, so where were we before we started talking about Malfoy?" asked Kalissa, speaking more to herself than to Natalie.

"Talking about why Professor Dumbledore is not taking the circumstantial magic behind Lily's protection very seriously," replied Natalie.

"I think you may know my answer to that question after I've expressed my worries about Albus," said Kalissa surreptitiously.

Natalie looked at her momentarily in puzzlement before seeing the implication. "You think that he does not believe in using the circumstantial magic because he has another plan for defeating Voldermort that he does not want anybody to know of."

"Well, I don't think he's keeping it from everybody. I think Harry will eventually have to be told," noted Kalissa.

"So he also wants to destroy the Horcruxes," commented Natalie.

Kalissa nodded. "Yes, but I think he sees other ways to defeat Voldemort that also involve the Horcruxes. I still don't know why he finds it necessary to hide his plan from me."

Natalie reached over to squeeze Kalissa's hand. "I don't think it's that he doesn't trust you. Maybe he wants to keep you safe," said Natalie softly.

Kalissa smiled at her. "Thank you Natalie. But I'd rather know and not have him make decisions for me."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "It always has to be on your terms," commented Natalie dryly.

"Haven't I taught you well?" quipped Kalissa, grinning at her.

"Yes, you have," said Natalie, returning the sly grin. "Then, are there other ways of killing Voldemort?"

Kalissa frowned. "Remember, Harry is the only individual who has that protection so he has the greatest chance of defeating Voldemort. And knowing Albus, any plan of his would heavily involve Harry, but as I've suggested, the connection between Voldemort and Harry must first be broken. I believe then Albus sees another way of breaking that connection that he prefers to circumstantial magic, only I fail to see the way."

Natalie looked at Kalissa pensively. "The Horcruxes would still have to be destroyed," said Natalie slowly. "But capturing Pettigrew would be difficult and getting Snape to confront Voldemort would require extreme persuasion."

"Yes, reversing some of the context around Lily's death will not be easy, but I am almost certain the connection is built on circumstantial Arithmancy. Therefore in my estimation, reversing the context is still the most logical way," contended Kalissa fiercely.

Suddenly, Natalie remembered Harry telling her Dumbledore's explanation for the link between him and Voldemort. "Kalissa, are you certain that Professor Dumbledore believes the connection to be due to circumstantial Arithmancy? You said that he agreed with you that circumstantial magic played a role in Lily's protection, but not necessarily that it created the link."

Kalissa closed her eyes, breathing heavily. When she opened her eyes, a dreary uneasiness reappeared, quickly morphing itself into that wearisome anxiety Natalie found so disconcerting. "I never thought of that," said Kalissa. "You're right, Natalie – I don't think Albus actually believes me at all."

"Kalissa!" admonished Natalie, gazing sharply at her guardian. "How can you think of that? He trusts and respects you Kalissa – he's known you for 60 years. Maybe he has his own ideas and he's so stubborn about them that he's refusing to consider any other viewpoints."

Kalissa jerked her head to meet Natalie's firm gaze. "You know something?"

Natalie smiled coyly at her. "Natalie!" cried Kalissa, her eyes widening. "What did Harry tell you?"

Natalie chuckled. "Apparently, last year, when Harry started seeing Voldemort's thoughts and experiencing his emotions more often, Professor Dumbledore explained that the connection between the two of them had become much stronger because Voldemort had used Harry's blood to resurrect himself in the previous summer. But there is a slight hole in this explanation – before Voldemort took Harry's blood, Harry had a dream about Voldemort at Voldemort's father's house – the dream turned out to be the actual event."

Kalissa scratched her chin thoughtfully. "I heard about Voldemort taking Harry's blood from Albus just after it happened." Seeing Natalie's affronted look, Kalissa said indignantly, "Natalie, you know there are things that I'm obligated not to tell you – if you remember correctly, at the time, you were not Harry Potter's girlfriend."

Natalie blushed. "I suppose, but you were saying?"

Kalissa nodded. "The blood does contain some of the magical power associated with Lily's protection – the reason why Harry has had to live with his mother's relatives. Possessing the blood, Voldemort should be able to touch Harry, attack and injure Harry with any curse if Harry does not cast a spell at Voldemort at the same time. However, if they cast simultaneous spells at one another, then the part of Lily's protection that is not contained in blood will come to Harry's aid – without any connection between Voldemort and Harry, the curse should rebound back at Voldemort and could kill him if Voldemort cast the Killing Curse. However, with the connection, unpredictable magical events occur such as I believe the Priori Incantatem incident that occurred at the graveyard the night of Voldemort's resurrection."

"Alright, that does make sense," said Natalie pensively. "But you've implied that the blood does not cause the connection between them."

"Why would it?" asked Kalissa. "I don't mean to sound harsh, but you said yourself, Harry had that dream about Voldemort's house before Voldemort took his blood. The link was there – I'm sure Harry could sense Voldemort's presence if Voldemort was in a nearby vicinity. Having the same blood clearly augmented the connection, but the link between them was established the night Voldemort killed Lily and James, not the night he resurrected himself."

"Do you think the Headmaster believes that the sharing of the blood created the connection?" posed Natalie.

Kalissa snapped her fingers. "Albus would not be that blind though from what you said, he may be attributing too much importance to the fact that Voldemort has Harry's blood. And as you also indicated, I do not think he believes my theory about circumstantial magic bringing about that connection."

"Then that must mean he sees another reason for that connection," exclaimed Natalie, befuddled as to what other magic could create the connection.

"Yes," spat Kalissa in frustration. "And he's hiding this reason. While he has always been a bit clandestine, he has never been this secretive with either myself or Minerva about his plans."

"Maybe he plans to tell you later," suggested Natalie optimistically.

"The thought has crossed my mind," conceded Kalissa. "But then it becomes a question of why he would want to keep such important information to himself for so long."

Before Natalie could speak, Kalissa raised her hand to stop her. "I know what you're going to say – it may very well be for our protection, but I cannot think of any reason for that connection that would endanger other members of the Order."

"It is very confusing," acknowledged Natalie grudgingly.

"And distressing," added Kalissa morosely. She glanced at her watch. "It looks like we've talked for about two hours, Natalie. I think Minerva should be coming very soon. Now about Harry –"

"What about him?" interrupted Natalie, puzzled as to why Kalissa would mention Harry.

"Well, surely, you must want to tell him about his mother's protection," commented Kalissa, looking amusedly at Natalie.

"Oh of course, he deserves to know," stammered Natalie, flustered and ashamed that she had not considered how she would tell Harry about Lily's protection.

Kalissa raised her eyebrows at Natalie. "Yes, he does deserve to know though I'm assuming you'll leave out the part about Severus given what you decided earlier."

Natalie nodded, her spirits dropping at the thought of concealing Severus and Lily's friendship from Harry.

"He deserves to know the reason she was given a choice," said Natalie quietly. The familiar guilt burned into her chest, her mind swirling in confusion. She likely knew more about his mother's death than him. If she was in his position, she would want to know everything.

"Yes, he does," said Kalissa, watching Natalie carefully. "But this is only a possible reason- a hypothesis. And you have to remember that if our hypothesis is true, then the plea to Voldemort is not our secret-

"It is Snape's secret," said Natalie. She breathed heavily, the guilt blazing into her more fiercely.

Natalie exhaled loudly again. She wanted to tell Harry, but she realized she could not make that decision without feeling like she was intruding and thrusting herself into the bond Lily and Snape shared. The photograph of the two teenage friends burst in her mind followed by the memory of Snape saving her from the Death Eater. Despite his abusive methods as a teacher, he was evidently not a cruel person. Somehow, she believed he trusted her and that she had an obligation to him. Not telling Harry would be horribly insensitive, deceitful and even cruel, but betraying Snape's secrets seemed intrinsically wrong. If he indeed was the one responsible for much of Lily's protection, then the responsibility to tell Harry should lie withhim.

"Knowledge of that evening belongs to Harry, but everything about Lily and Snape's friendship belongs to Snape. And therefore, as does Lily's connection," concluded Natalie somberly. "I hate the logic and as much as I feel that Harry needs to know, I can't shake off the feeling that something terrible would happen if I intruded.'

Kalissa patted her back consolingly. "It will be very difficult for you to hide Severus and Lily's relationship from Harry. But I agree- we do not have any authority to disclose Severus' role in Lily's death and her protection. And seeing as Albus has not told Harry, I suspect he feels the same way."

"However, you are right in saying Harry deserves to know." continued Kalissa, gripping Natalie's hand and staring directly into her eyes. "I do believe he will eventually find out.

"And when he does, I'm certain he'll have a few choice words for me," mumbled Natalie. She remembered Harry's reaction the last and only time he discovered she had been keeping a very important secret.

Wanting to change the subject, Natalie also looked at her watch. "Minerva should be here in a few minutes," said Natalie, genuinely surprised. "How did we manage to talk non-stop for two hours?"

"There were some rather intriguing topics," stated Kalissa amicably.

"Intriguing is an understatement," said Natalie sarcastically.

Kalissa shrugged her shoulders. "We had some important things to talk about but now, let's try to move onto lighter topics for the evening. Goodness knows the last time that I actually had a proper conversation with Minerva."

Natalie smiled. "It will be nice for the three of us to spend some time together."

"Very good memories," noted Kalissa fondly, the sparking excitement and ebullience returning to her face. "Let's try to have a good time, shall we?"

"I'm all for that," said Natalie. "Though I am not looking forward to awakening you after a long night."

**A/N: What do you think of my explanation for the circumstantial magic?**


	27. Telling Ron

Chapter 27-Telling Ron

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Thanks to all the reviewers for the last chapter! All the reviews really do make my day. **

**Thanks to my sister for editing this chapter!**

"There's Slughorn. Professor!" cried Harry, waving his hands enthusiastically at the round Potions Master who continued walking back to the castle without a glance in their direction.

Natalie hastily grabbed Harry's arm. "Calm down, Harry. He obviously is avoiding you," hissed Natalie, noticing the rather appalled and curious stares they were receiving from the other Hogwarts students outside.

It was the Sunday after Natalie's visit with Kalissa on the Friday evening. She and Harry had decided to spend the afternoon outside and enjoy the unexpected warm and sunny spring weather. Ron and Hermione, to Ron's outright disdain and Hermione's slight annoyance, were supervising first year study sessions for most of the afternoon.

Harry shook his head, still staring after Slughorn as they walked towards the lake. "I don't think he's said a word to me ever since I mentioned the horcruxes."

"I'm sure you will find a way to persuade him," said Natalie assuredly. "Dumbledore clearly thinks so but I somehow find it hard to believe that trying to corner him in front of a whole bunch of Hogwarts students is the most effective way to get him to reveal that memory."

Harry laughed. "It was worth a shot."

Natalie clicked her tongue. "I don't even think it was."

"How exactly do you think I'll be able to get him to talk about that memory, let alone convince him to give it to me?" asked Harry, kicking some dirt in front of them.

Natalie looked at him thoughtfully. "Well first of all, you could try to be a bit more subtle- stop trying to corner him at the end of classes and in the corridor. Maybe, first, attend his Slug parties, engage him in conversation and not talk about horcruxes and generally lull him into a sense of comfort around you. And then tell him how important it is to you that you know about the horcruxes. I imagine playing the sympathy card will resonate with him a bit."

Harry looked at her amazement. "You make it sound so easy. To even 'engage him in conversation' would require that he actually talks to me and does not walk away everytime he sees me approach."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, maybe, you need a bit of luck but stop being so negative."

Harry's eyes immediately widened and a big grin spread across his face. "That's it," enunciated Harry.

Natalie stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Harry, I don't think I'm following you . Are we still talking about Slughorn?"

Harry grabbed her shoulders, stopping their walk and turning her around to face him.

"Don't you see Natalie?" breathed Harry excitedly. "It's luck I need."

Natalie's eyes also widened in understanding. "Felix Felicis."

"Exactly," said Harry. "I was hoping to use to maybe stop Malfoy at whatever he's planning but this seems like the perfect use for the potion."

Natalie refrained from rolling her eyes at Harry's paranoia about Malfoy. "Alright but there's only a small amount so you need to pick the right time and moment to use that potion," said Natalie carefully.

"Of course," replied Harry jubilantly. "It will probably have to late at night- I'll use the Invisibility cloak. And I'm assuming the Felix Felicis will give me an opportunity to speak to Slughorn alone and somehow get him to talk to me. From there, I'll basically do what you say."

"Sounds like a good plan," assented Natalie. "But remember to use it only for Slughorn," added Natalie firmly, the image of a snotty blonde haired boy appearing in her mind.

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "I know Natalie- getting the memory from Slughorn is more important than stopping Malfoy."

Natalie gave a satisfactorily nod. "It's nice to know you listen to me." She released herself from his hold and they proceeded on their walk down to the lake. Natalie could not help but feel a slight pang of pleasure at the loathsome glares directed her way.

"Not that I still don't think Malfoy's up to something," said Harry stubbornly.

"Harry, I've told you-Kalissa and Minerva believe Dumbledore has full control of the situation. Whatever happened to Ron and Katie likely won't happen again. Personally, I don't think Malfoy was behind those attacks," said Natalie.

"And Kalissa also said that she felt Dumbledore was not being completely honest with her. Call me paranoid but I for one would like to know who exactly was behind the attacks and what Malfoy is doing," stated Harry ardently.

Natalie had relayed all of her conversation with Kalissa, except for the part involving Snape, to Harry, Ron and Hermione on Saturday. They all agreed that it was an overwhelming amount of information to absorb, but were pleased at knowing what really lay behind Lily's protection. Ron and Harry still found the Arithmancy rather dreary but the idea that Lily's own circumstances fabricated such a powerful protection enthralled all of them. Harry especially appeared very relieved and excited about the prospect that if the connection between him and Voldemort were broken, then his protection could be used to rebound the Killing Curse at Voldemort.

Kalissa's suspicions about Dumbledore had stunned Ron and Hermione, but as Natalie expected, Harry confessed that he shared those same suspicions. Natalie surmised that after learning that Dumbledore had neglected to tell him the prophecy for so long, Harry was fully aware of the Headmaster's lack of transparency. And as a consequence, Harry still did not waver in his conviction that Malfoy was planning to carry out a terrible task for Voldemort, maintaining his stance that the Slytherin also was the culprit behind Ron and Katie's attacks.

"I don't like wat Dumbledore's doing," acknowledged Natalie grimly. "But we have to trust his judgment."

Harry sighed. "I suppose but he has been wrong in the past."

"I know," said Natalie quietly, reaching over to squeeze Harry's hand. They continued to hold hands as they reached the Black lake.

Natalie gasped in awe at the sight ahead of her. In the summer, the lake took on a slightly uneasy blackness. While the sunlight washed over the groves of trees and bush around the lake, creating a web of dancing shadows intermingled with little wedges and beams of light, the lake appeared as a dark ink blob on a sheet of paper, interrupting and almost tainting the raw spontaneity of the words around it. And after hearing of the frightening stories of all the creatures that lay below the surface, Natalie had come to view the lake as a cautious reminder of the hidden danger underlining the immense magic of Hogwarts.

However, today, on a spring day, rising from the frigid dryness of winter, the blackness morphed into a chilling yet poignant haze of dark blue. The lake invited the rays of sunlight to bounce off its surface, leaving behind an array of glittering gems. The playful way those sparkling crystals rocked and oscillated across the slightly foreboding lake emanated a warmth and ease that Natalie could not associate with the lake in the summer. Combined with the majestic manner in which the landscape dramatically swept upwards past the masses of trees on the banks of the lake to the vast mountains that imperviously loomed over them, the scene conveyed the magnificent power of Hogwarts intertwined with the familiar warmth she had come to cherish in the school.

"It is beautiful," whispered Harry as he wrapped his arm around her.

Natalie leaned into him. "Yes. For me, this is quite a sight- you must probably see it every spring like this. "

Harry smiled at her as they began to walk along the path encircling the lake. "No, you never get used to it especially if you have to go back to the Dursleys every summer."

"I imagine Privet Drive isn't the most beautiful sight in the world," remarked Natalie, nudging him in the ribs.

Harry clutched his side, feigning hurt. He waved her off. "Nah- all those manicured gardens and box houses just grate my nerves."

"Suburban discomfort," noted Natalie dramatically.

Harry laughed. "That's a funny way of describing it but I suppose it's a just bit too ordinary for someone who goes to Hogwarts."

"I think you mean to say, a bit too normal for you."

"And that too," joked Harry.

Natalie looked around, noticing that most of the student population seemed to be at various positions around the lake. Many were walking along the path, others running around the trees on the bank and playing with what Natalie presumed were Weasley Wizarding wheezes products and a few merely lying down on the small beach below the path, basking in the unusual warmth of an April afternoon.

"People certainly seem to be enjoying themselves," observed Harry.

"Too bad Hermione and Ron are stuck inside," said Natalie.

Harry smirked. "I think they wouldn't mind being with each other."

Natalie laughed. "They're with a bunch of first years, Harry."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Just saying- I mean I would enjoy being with you no matter who was with us."

Natalie blushed. "I think being surrounded by Death Eaters would not qualify as an enjoyable situation. But thank you for the sentimental declaration"

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "So cynical."

Ahead of them, partially obscured by a rose bush, Natalie noticed Dean and Ginny lying in a rather intimate position against a tree. Ginny lay in Dean's arms, facing away from the path, as he nuzzled her neck.

Natalie motioned her head to the couple.

Harry chuckled. "Well they certainly seem to be having a good time."

"She better be glad Ron had to supervise those first years. I rather don't want to imagine his reaction," commented Natalie with a sly grin.

"Neither do I," agreed Harry. "Ginny does have a pretty heated temper.'

"I know from experience," said Natalie acidly as they walked past the couple, unnoticed by either one.

Harry frowned at her harsh tone. "That was only the one time. Now, she and you seem to be getting along."

"Harry, there were a few other times in which she and I exchanged harsh words- you weren't just there to witness them," said Natalie disdainfully.

"Well, Ginny, like Ron, is protective of those she considers friends and I think for those first few months, she-

"Viewed me as a threat," finished Natalie, starting to become annoyed at the defensive tone in Harry's voice.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "I don't think as a threat- I think just because of Kalissa's family history, she was a bit skeptical about you."

Natalie snorted. "Oh come on Harry, that wasn't the only reason she didn't take a liking to me."

Harry released his arm from Natalie so that they were now walking side by side. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you saying?"

Natalie sighed. "You must know she has feelings for you."

Harry's face flushed. "Well, er yeah," stammered Harry. "But I think she's gotten past those feelings-you saw her and Dean."

Natalie shook her head. "Just because she's with someone else does not mean she has stopped liking you."

"Anyway, she seems to pay a lot more attention to you than she does to Dean," added Natalie.

"We're friends, Natalie!" exclaimed Harry. "Do you expect her to not pay attention to me?"

"Of course not!" said Natalie evenly. "It's nice that you two have a pretty easygoing relationship but the way she looks at you is not the same way Hermione looks at you."

Harry shook his head at her. " 'The way she looks at me'- you're making it sound like she's obsessed with me."

"Well obsessed would be a rather strong term but I would definitely say that you have er a strong presence in her mind," said Natalie, trying to contain the anger in her voice.

"You're just over exaggerating her feelings," said Harry through gritted teeth.

"No, I'm not," stated Natalie heatedly. "The way she reacted to me when we became friends does suggest strong feelings of jealousy."

"I'm thinking that you're the one who is jealous," said Harry coolly.

"Oh so now I've become the jealous girlfriend," hissed Natalie vehemently

Harry did not retract from her furious glare. "Well, if the shoe fits, then wear it."

Natalie tore her gaze from Harry, trying to calm herself. They proceeded to walk in stony silence. Natalie could almost feel Harry seething, picturing his eyes burning a hole into the ground below them. He started to kick pebbles and dust viciously along the path. Out of the corner eyes, she saw that a small group of second year girls on the beach directly below them had noticed their argument and now had annoyingly smug expressions on their faces. She did not want to have this conversation about Ginny but as Harry continued to defend her, Natalie's apprehension and insecurities about the girl emerged.

Natalie closed her eyes, calming herself. To make Harry understand why she had become so abrupt with him, Natalie would have to be honest about her own feelings and that meant painfully recognizing her jealousy.

Natalie took a deep breath, causing Harry to look toward her. "Yes, Harry, I am jealous," acknowledged Natalie, her face turning a bright red. She still could not look at him and so focused her eyes on a nearby pine tree. It would take all of her willpower to say the next sentence. "You've known her much longer than you've known me and you have to admit, she's a very pretty girl and there's an energy about her that a lot of the boys find fanciable."

Harry reached for her hand, holding it. "Natalie, you shouldn't be," said Harry gently. "I don't see her in that way. You shouldn't put yourself down- I think you're the most beautiful girl in the school."

Natalie's face became even redder though her insides soared in delight. "Thank you Harry," whispered Natalie, gazing into Harry's eyes. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't be that jealous."

Harry smiled at her. "I suppose I would feel a bit slighted if you weren't jealous," said Harry, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Arrogant git," muttered Natalie in mock disgust as she shoved Harry gently. "Anyway, Harry, I have nothing against your friendship with her. It's just-

" You're convinced she still fancies me," said Harry calmly.

"She does fancy you," said Natalie ardently.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We'll have to disagree on that one. But in Ginny's defense, she is a very loyal and protective friend, like Ron. I do still think that the reason she did not take a liking to you in the first place was that with the Malkae history, she thought you were a threat. And of course, what happened on the common room on your first night escalated everything."

"We'll have to disagree on that one," repeated Natalie, smirking slightly at Harry.

"Though I agree that she is a great friend to you," said Natalie more seriously.

"Her friendship is important to me," said Harry flatly.

Natalie nodded, not offended by the firm tone to Harry's voice. She never wanted Harry to abandon his friendship with Ginny. She just wanted for him to be aware that the red headed girl may still possess romantic feelings for him.

"You know, it's only in the last two years that she's been pretty comfortable around me. Before, she would panic everytime I looked at her," said Harry thoughtfully.

"Hermione told me about how she was," said Natalie. Given how they argued so easily over Ginny, Natalie felt uneasy about continuing to talk about her.

"You and Hermione talk about those sort of things?" asked Harry in bewilderment.

Natalie laughed. "We are girls, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose there was quite a bit of Lavender bashing in your conversations."

"Of course. I actually quite enjoyed insulting her-it was a good way to release my anger about you at the time," remarked Natalie.

Harry snorted in laughter. "Actually I don't mind Lavender that much."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him, her hands on her hips.

Harry raised his hands defensively at her. "No need to get jealous."

Natalie shoved him more forcefully, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall onto a tree near the path. A few third year girls watching Harry by the tree quickly darted away. "Whoa Natalie," said Harry, still laughing. "You didn't let me finish."

Natalie smirked at him. "You didn't think I was that strong."

"Actually, given how hard you slap, I wasn't too surprised," noted Harry, his eyes dancing in mirth.

Natalie blushed, remembering her wild fury at him at the time. "Yeah, those slaps were quite hard. I never got to apologize for them- you were being a stubborn arse but there was no need for me to-

"Get so violent?" sniggered Harry.

"Yes," said Natalie grumpily. "Do you have to be so casual about something like that?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We were both very angry with each other at the time-whatever happened is in the past. What were we talking about anyway?"

"About how you 'don't mind Lavender that much'," answered Natalie sharply

"Oh yes," said Harry. "If she didn't go after Ron, would you and Hermione have anything against her at all?"

Natalie paused to ponder over Harry's words. "Well, my feelings about her wouldn't be as strong but generally, she's not somebody that I would want to get to know better."

"So it was only her crush on Ron that caused your strong grudge against her and not her personality?"

"I think that was implied," replied Natalie irritably. "You're basically saying that you don't mind her as a person."

"Yes," said Harry, smiling. "She can be very annoying but she's no different than Parvati or for that fact, many of the girls in the school."

"I suppose you're right," conceded Natalie. "But why do you feel the need to interrogate me about my grudge against Lavender?"

"To make a point," said Harry bemusedly. "You and Hermione should be less judgmental sometimes."

Natalie snapped her fingers. "We weren't being judgmental about Lavender- the way she paraded around with Ron was disgusting."

"Seeing them snog does make me want to vomit," agreed Harry. "But I don't think Lavender is a cruel, evil git like Malfoy."

"I don't think so either but I still don't like her. And that's not because I'm being too judgmental-it's because of the way she went after Ron," said Natalie ostentatiously.

Harry sighed. "Alright and to clear the air, I find her pretty irritating too."

Natalie laughed. "Harry, you're not making sense."

Harry grinned at her. "With Lavender, I was trying to rile you- I think I did the trick. But I did make a good point along the way- she is not a bad person."

Natalie shook her head at him in disbelief. "After we just argued, why in the world would you want to irritate me?"

"You're pretty cute when you're angry." He reached over to wrap his hand around Natalie's shoulders, pulling her towards him.

Natalie lifted her head to peck him on the lips. "I suppose you wanted that to happen."

"More of that would be nice," said Harry mischievously.

"Do you want the other girls here to start throwing hexes at me?"

"Nah, though that would be pretty exciting to watch," said Harry, laughing into Natalie's hair.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a very enjoyable manner. Natalie and Harry continued to affectionately needle one another, trying to keep the conversation lighthearted and carefree for both knew the more serous subjects could wait till later. With all the schoolwork they had received after their eventful Easter break as well as her meeting with Kalissa, Natalie barely had a chance to spend significant time alone with Harry. She almost forgot how much she enjoyed the more nuanced but equally as romantic moments of their interactions; his intense glances her way when he thought she was not paying him attention, the pleased look that crossed his face when he made her laugh, his embarrassed yet excited expression when she discreetly complimented him and the seemingly playful way in which he held and pulled her towards him although both knew the desires behind those gestures were not so innocent.

"That was quite a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon," said Harry happily as they walked back to the castle.

"I never knew the lake was so big," grumbled Natalie, her feet were becoming sore after they had walked the entire distance around the lake.

"We should have gone for a swim," said Harry, rather too enthusiastically for Natalie's liking.

"And freeze to death. You saw those girls shivering," commented Natalie disdainfully.

"Ah it's not that bad- remember I dove into the lake in February," recalled Harry fondly.

"That was not out of choice," retorted Natalie.

Harry shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "It wasn't that bad."

Natalie's stomach growled, causing her to blush. Harry raised his eyebrows at her.

"Sorry," muttered Natalie. "I didn't have much for lunch. What time is it anyways-has supper started yet?"

His eyes flickered to his watch. His eyes widened slightly at the time before he reached into the pockets of his jeans, trying to find something.

"What are you doing?" asked Natalie suspiciously.

"We have an hour till supper," said Harry absently as he finally managed to pull out a blank sheet of parchment. He tapped the sheet, muttering a barely discernible phrase that caused the blank sheet quickly to transform itself into an elaborately detailed map of the castle.

"Harry! What are you doing with that map?" exclaimed Natalie.

Natalie saw his eyes focus on a moving dot with the label 'Draco Malfoy'. Natalie crossed her hands against her chest. "Harry Potter, do you mean to tell me that throughout this afternoon, you've been obsessing about that ferret?"

Harry winced at the mention of his surname. "Natalie, I just wanted to check where he was."

"And the map just happened to be in your pocket?"

Harry sighed. "I'd brought it with me, thinking I could check what he was up to when we were done."

Natalie was starting to become very irritated with his seemingly dismissive attitude towards their afternoon together. " 'When we were done'? I am so sorry to have wasted your time when you could have been following Draco Malfoy," said Natalie scathingly.

Harry slapped a hand to his forehead. "I sound like a real git, don't I? This afternoon was great- I mean, spending time with you alone is wonderful. To be honest, I only thought of him when I saw the time."

Seeing the pleading expression on his face, Natalie found it very difficult to be annoyed with him. "How does checking the time remind you of him?"

Harry turned his eyes away from her. "Er, well, er I've been using the map to er follow him," stuttered Harry, clearly embarrassed. "And around quarter to five or so, he usually goes to the Room of Requirement- you can tell because when he enters the room, his dot disappears off the map."

"Let me be certain I'm hearing what I'm saying-you've basically monitored him for so long that you have his daily routine memorized," stated Natalie, barely keeping the astonishment out of her voice.

"Well, not exactly memorized- I mean I just know when he's doing something suspicious."

"So could you tell me when he goes to the toilet, how long his showers usually are?" asked Natalie, a huge grin spreading across her face.

Harry's flushed. "I don't look for those type of things and anyway, the map doesn't show the locations of the lavatories."

Natalie continued to smirk at him. "Really? I thought your father and his friends would have been interested to know where all the girls' lavatories were."

Harry scowled at her. "Well, they clearly were not. And can you please stop joking- don't you find it a bit strange that Malfoy spends so much time in the Room of Requirement?"

"You obviously do," said Natalie.

"Natalie!"

Natalie raised her hands to calm him. "Yes, Harry, I do find it a bit suspicious that Malfoy is using the Room of Requirement. It's pretty much clear he is up to something but remember what Kalissa told me-Dumbledore probably knows about Malfoy and you have to trust him to have it under control."

"I trust Dumbledore's judgment," repeated Harry irritably. "But don't you at least want to know what Malfoy is doing?"

"We are not going to wait outside the Room of Requirement and then suddenly ambush him when he comes out," said Natalie firmly, sensing Harry's plan.

Harry looked slightly crestfallen. "When the next attack occurs, I'll make sure to remind you that I was right."

Natalie exhaled loudly. "Harry, first of all, I don't think Malfoy was behind the attacks. Whatever he's doing would have to be far less dangerous. And second of all, Dumbledore probably has a good idea who the culprit or culprits were and has taken sufficient measures to stop them."

"Fine but I have a funny feeling about this," said Harry, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Of course you do," said Natalie pointedly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Harry testily.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "I'm not questioning your instincts Harry but you have to admit that you don't have the most objective and tangible evidence in accusing Malfoy of plotting those attacks."

"You've seen how Malfoy looks, haven't you? And what about Snape's Unbreakable Vow?" argued Harry fiercely.

"Snape's vow may have only been a way for Malfoy's mother to ensure his safety- I don't think she was worried about the danger of the task Malfoy was supposedly assigned but more because Voldemort is not very happy with them and the Aurors won't hesitate in arresting them. And if you were in Malfoy's position, you'd look equally as tired and stressed."

"So now you feel sorry for the git," asked Harry, scowling.

Natalie sighed. Whenever they seemed to talk about Malfoy, they always became caught up in the same contentious argument. "No, I don't Harry. He and his family deserve everything that's happened to them so far."

Harry looked slightly mollified as they reached the castle. Both of them passed through Filch's neurotic scan. Judging by the dismayed expression on the caretaker's face after he could not find any sign of dark magic on them, Natalie briefly wondered whether he would have far greater enjoyment as a guard among all the feelings of misery and forlornness in Azkhaban.

After they had left the grumpy caretaker, Natalie turned to Harry, an annoyed expression on her face. "And Harry, can you please stop biting my head off everytime we talk about Malfoy?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Sorry about that Natalie. It's just that I'm so certain he had something to do with those attacks."

Natalie nodded. "You have your feelings about that and I'll respectfully disagree with you," said Natalie resignedly. "But Harry, you can't make it your life's goal to prove he is a Death Eater."

Harry chuckled. "You must know that's not my life goal. What's the Muggle saying- I have bigger fish to catch or something like that?"

"To fry," corrected Natalie, a surge of compassion filling her at Harry's implication. "Oh Harry, you know that you must only go after Voldemort when you're ready and when Dumbledore and you have everything you need to know about defeating him."

Harry smiled at her. " I'm surprised that you forgot to mention Kalissa."

"I'm sure Kalissa will have her say," said Natalie, not bothering to hide the pride in her voice.

"Do you want to go find Ron and Hermione?" posed Harry as they entered the Great Hall.

Natalie nodded. "They'll probably have gone back to the Common room- the study session should be finished by now."

"That reminds me," began Harry, looking tentatively at Natalie.

"Yes?" said Natalie curiously.

Harry's eyes were quickly becoming clouded with distress. "About Ron- when do you-

"Plan to tell him?" said Natalie grimly, her smile also rapidly slipping off her face.

"Yes," said Harry quietly. Between the nervous fiddling with his glasses, the flickering of his eyes around the Hall and his erect posture, Natalie could easily see the guilt tormenting him.

"I should try to tell him as soon as possible," noted Natalie.

Harry moved forward, placing his hands on her shoulders. He concentrated his gaze upon Natalie. "It's your secret to tell. You must tell him when you feel comfortable and not because of myself or Hermione."

Natalie nodded, her heart skipping a few beats. Though she had already resolved to share her identity with Ron, the actual decision to abide by her resolve and tell him held a sharpness of reality that Natalie feared she had yet to fully appreciate. The precipitous nature of this decision along with all the devastating consequences was slowly sinking into Natalie. If Harry needed a month to come to terms with Natalie's identity, how long would Ron, who had an even more lopsided view of the wizarding world, take? Ron would undoubtedly be absolutely furious with his two best friends for concealing such important information. Considering the impact on Harry worried Natalie but her greater concern ultimately lay with Hermione. She and Ron were finally realizing their feelings with one another. Telling Ron would invariably set back their relationship.

Natalie had not noticed Harry guide her into one of the hidden passageways that connected the Great Hall to one of the corridors leading to the Fat Lady's Portrait. He placed a hand on his cheek, startling Natalie.

"Natalie, you seem to be a bit out of it," said Harry softly. "Take some time to think about telling Ron-I'm sorry for bringing it up when we were having such a good time."

Natalie stared at Harry. She remembered the poorly disguised anguish on Harry's face, Hermione's sad and hollow smile and her own terrifying numbness when Ron had asked her about using Kalissa's name. Hesitating and procrastinating in informing Ron would only aggrandize their guilt; Ron's reaction would be equally as angry and disappointed whether it was today or a week or month from today. With that thought, a renewed clarity strengthened Natalie's resolve. It would be best to tell him tonight.

Natalie placed her hand in Harry's other hand, looking determinedly into his eyes. "I should tell Ron sooner than later. And so then why not tonight?"

"Tonight?" asked Harry, startled. "It's not too soon for you?"

Natalie nodded, not tearing her piercing gaze from Harry. "I've thought about it Harry- I've already decided to tell Ron. If I procrastinate, I'm only make us all feel more guilty and Ron's reaction is not going to change because of when I tell him."

Harry squeezed her hand. "You sound pretty confident but you must know Ron's not going to handle it well, especially initially."

Natalie smiled. "From your reaction, I think I know what to expect."

Harry pressed his lips to her forehead. "We should tell Hermione. I think she will agree with you but Ron's not going to be happy with her."

"I know," whispered Natalie. "That's what worries me the most."

"They'll get through it," assured Harry, brushing a few strands of hair off Natalie's forehead. "I also agree that it's better to tell Ron immediately. The longer you know a secret is being kept from you, the angrier you become. "

Natalie dropped her head onto Harry's shoulder, letting him envelop her into a tight hug. Hearing Harry's vote of confidence validated the decision in her mind given his past experiences as the person being deceived.

"Shall we go then?" asked Harry as he pulled back from Natalie.

Natalie nodded. They began to walk along the passageway to the corridor leading to Gryffindor Tower. "Thanks for that Harry. You really know how to cheer me up."

Harry blushed. "I like to think that I know when you're upset."

"Yes you do," said Natalie as she reached out to hold his hand.

"How are you going to ask Hermione?" asked Harry.

"I'll probably make an excuse for her to come with me to our dormitory and then ask whether she agrees that I should tell Ron tonight."

"I'm almost certain she will," stated Harry. "She doesn't like hiding things at all."

"Yesterday when I told her I wanted to tell Ron, she was very supportive and pretty relieved," said Natalie.

Harry turned to her with an unreadable expression on his face. "You know, we've hidden your identity from Ron for about three months. And only on Friday, did it hit all of us that we were lying to our best friend." His voice ascended with each word, finally hardening on the last word as the guilt and self loathing emerged again.

Natalie squeezed his hand, rubbing her thumb against his palm. She also could not believe that all of three them only started feeling that terrible, burdensome guilt less than two days ago. However, Natalie supposed that over the last few months, their minds and emotions had been very distracted so that with other subjects at the front of their minds, the guilt reduced into a barely palpable uneasiness. "It's wrong that we only realized we were lying to Ron on Friday but we can't completely blame ourselves for that. There were so many other things occurring over the past few months- you and I fighting, Ron and Hermione continuing to fight, Ron's poisoning, the incident at Knockturn Alley and not to mention the research the four of us did on your mother's protection and your assignment from Dumbledore about the Horcruxes."

Harry looked slightly appeased. "Still, how could we have not seen this?"

"It is pretty shocking but I plan to tell Ron tonight or very soon, depending upon what Hermione says. So it will be behind the four of us."

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry said the password and they entered the common room, spotting Ron and Hermione relaxing on the settee by the fireplace. Hermione was re-reading an essay while Ron's eyes were, to Natalie's surprise, focused firmly on a book. As she and Harry approached them, Natalie's surprise tempered, noticing that the textbook was a Quidditch book.

Both Ron and Hermione looked up when Harry and Natalie sat in the two opposing armchairs.

"How was your afternoon?" asked Ron with a noticeable smirk on his face.

"Very nice," said Harry in a clipped tone.

"Got in a few snogs?" said Ron, an annoying grin on his face.

Harry threw the cushion on his armchair at Ron who dramatically ducked the cushion, falling on the settee onto Hermione's lap. Both of them immediately separated from one another with equally red expressions.

Harry laughed. "Thank goodness you're not a Chaser. Imagine if that was a Bludger, you'd have fallen off your broom."

"The afternoon was good, I trust," said Hermione, cutting off Ron's sharp retort.

"Yes, the weather was great. How was the study period?" replied Natalie civilly, desperately trying to catch Hermione's eye. Unfortunately, Hermione's reproachful gaze was focused on Ron.

"An absolute waste of time," said Ron, yawning. "Most of them are absolute dunces, if you ask me."

"Ron!" reprimanded Hermione. "How can-

"Hermione," interrupted Natalie rather forcefully. Hermione turned to look indignantly at Natalie. "I was meaning to tell you yesterday but I found a rather interesting Ancient Runes textbook. Do you want to go up to the dormitory to see it?" She finally caught Hermione's eye, silently pleading her to accept the transparent excuse.

"Oh," said Hermione, a suspicious expression on her face. "Well of course, let's go see it."

"Ancient Runes, Arithmancy- one would think that you two dream of those subjects," muttered Ron sardonically, who seemed to be rather spirited.

"I don't say anything about your obsession with Quidditch, do I?" snapped Hermione.

"Yes, you do," corrected Ron, grinning snidely at Hermione.

Before Hermione could engage herself in the argument further, Natalie pulled her away. "We're going to my dormitory and will be back in about fifteen minutes for supper." Harry smiled encouragingly at her.

She and Hermione walked to the staircase leading to their dormitory and headed up the stairs. "Why did Harry smile at you like that?" whispered Hermione curiously. "And do you honestly expect me to believe that you couldn't have brought the book into the common room for both of us to read?"

"Hermione, calm down. I'm going to tell you," said Natalie patiently. They entered their dormitory which was thankfully empty. As Natalie plopped on her bed, she motioned for Hermione to do the same. Natalie then quick a cast Muffliato around them in case either Parvati or Lavender did enter.

"What's this about?" asked Hermione intently, her expression suddenly solemn.

Natalie nodded at Hermione. She took a deep breath before answering Hermione. "Remember when I told you that I wanted to tell Ron about Bellatrix being my mother," started Natalie, watching for Hermione's reaction.

Hermione's eyes widened like saucers. With the girl's intuition, Natalie surmised Hermione already knew what Natalie was going to say.

"Well, Harry and I have thought it over. I've come to the conclusion that the sooner I tell Ron, the better it is for all of us. Ron will react the same way no matter when I tell him but the longer I prolong my decision, the more the guilt will weigh on us. And thinking over everything, there's no reason why I should wait a few days, " explained Natalie, trying to appear as calm as possible even though her insides were squirming.

"Tonight?" breathed Hermione anxiously. Natalie could almost see her stomach take a sharp lurch.

"Yes," answered Natalie quietly.

"And you've thought about the consequences, including Ron's reaction- he will be very angry with all of us," said Hermione, her voice trembling. The words were rushing out of her mouth.

Recognizing the bout of panic, Natalie's heart pounded against her chest. With Ron and Hermione's relationship, she not only wanted but desperately needed Hermione's stamp of approval on her decision to tell Ron. Judging by Hermione's frantic behavior, Hermione had yet to absorb the ramifications of telling Ron; mainly the exposure of Hermione's concealment would strike a possibly devastating blow to the development of their relationship.

"Hermione, if you haven't thought over and accepted Ron's reaction, I won't tell him tonight," said Natalie, gently wrapping her arm around the pale girl next to her.

Hermione appraised Natalie's statement, biting her lower lip. She closed her eyes for a few painstaking long moments and then opened her eyes with a determined expression on her face. "No, Natalie, since Friday, I've wondered many times about how Ron would handle knowing your identity. He will be absolutely furious and hurt but like you said, the guilt is terrible. I can't stare at him in the eye without thinking about it."

As Hermione paused, Natalie gave Hermione a reassuring squeeze. She knew too well how Hermione was feeling. When she and Harry were starting to explore their feelings for one another, the same suffocating guilt throttled her.

Hermione breathed, again staring at Natalie. "However, Natalie, this is your secret and your decision. I agree with the logic but the most important thing is whether right now, you feel you can trust Ron. Speaking for Ron, I can say that he may be the most trustworthy person I know and Harry will probably agree. However, in order for you to feel happy with your decision, you must believe that you can trust Ron."

Natalie smiled at her. "I knew I could count on you for making things simple. On Friday, I don't think I told you but I did think about whether I could trust Ron. Our friendship is only about two months old so there is little familiarity for me to rely upon. However, I know that Ron trusts you and Harry- and because of that trust, I am fully convinced I can place my faith in him," explained Natalie, believing every single word.

Hermione exhaled, a slightly relieved expression crossing her face. "You sound pretty confident. I agree with the decision to tell Ron- I'm not looking forward to the actual act but I want it to be over. I have no idea how this guilt only started to really cut into me on Friday."

Natalie chuckled. "Harry and I had this same conversation. I think so many things have happened in the past few months that after Ron's poisoning, the three of us almost forget about Ron not knowing who I was. I don't blame you at all- you have to remember that until about a month ago, you and Ron weren't talking."

Hermione nodded. "And I suppose after his poisoning, I was so happy that he was alive and that the two of us were on speaking terms. Him knowing your identity became so unimportant. I still should have seen it earlier."

"We all should have," said Natalie solemnly.

Hermione smiled at her."So tonight it is."

"Yes," said Natalie with an air of finality.

"Now?" asked Hermione. "Or after supper?"

"After supper-this might take some time," answered Natalie.

"Where should we tell him?" asked Hermione, frowning. "We're going to need a place that we know we won't be interrupted."

Natalie nodded, anticipating the question. "There's a classroom in the hidden passage that connects the Great Hall to the corridor leading to the Fat Lady. It's almost always empty. We can lock the door, cast a Silencing charm as well."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at her. "Have you and Harry been using that classroom to-

"No!" exclaimed Natalie. At Hermione's skeptical look, Natalie sighed. "A few times- Hermione, don't look at me like that! Anyway, more importantly, I told Harry about Bellatrix in that classroom."

"That sounds like a good location then," said Hermione, still smirking at Natalie.

"Come on Hermione. I can't believe I'm saying this but be serious," said Natalie in frustration.

"Fine, we'll use that classroom," agreed Hermione without the smirk. "We should return to the Common room. I do think we have been here for 15 minutes."

Natalie nodded and reversed the the Muffliato spell. The two of them exited the dormitory.

"You know you can't always use Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as an excuse to talk to me alone. Ron may not catch it but Harry will," noted Hermione amusedly.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "I'll promise next time to make my excuse more original."

"I hope you do," assented Hermione, laughing.

When they returned to the Common Room, Harry looked inquisitively at the two of them. Ron also lifted his head from the Quidditch book.

Natalie smiled at Harry who in turn nodded at both of them, shooting Hermione a reassuring smile.

"Ready for supper?" asked Ron, stretching his arms lazily as he placed the textbook in his bag.

"Yes. Let's go," answered Natalie a bit too earnestly.

After Hermione and Ron had dropped off their bags in their dormitories, the four of them exited the Common Room and walked to the Great Hall. Natalie glanced at Harry out of the corner of her eyes, flicking her eyes to motion him to join her as she walked ahead of Ron and Hermione.

Harry picked up his pace so that he was alongside Natalie. "You're telling him then?" said Harry in a hushed voice, looking back to make sure Hermione and Ron could not hear him.

Natalie nodded. "After supper in that classroom on the secret passageway we have used before."

Harry blushed. "Alright- that should be pretty safe. I don't think we've even been-

"Interrupted," finished Natalie dryly. Both she and Harry exchanged slightly embarrassed but amused glances.

"How's Hermione doing?" asked Harry.

"Good. She's nervous about telling Ron but she wants to do it," replied Natalie.

Harry nodded. "We're all nervous. Hopefully I can eat my supper."

Natalie laughed. "With Ron there eating everything, I think it would be hard for us to lose our appetite."

They arrived at the Great Hall, sitting down to eat supper at their customary positions near the end of the Gryffindor table that was close to the staff table. Though the Irish stew prepared by the House Elves looked and was delicious, Natalie barely finished the small helping on her plate. She also noticed that Hermione had eaten even less. And Harry, who often could rival Ron with his appetite, only managed one helping of the stew.

Neither Natalie, Harry or Hermione had much desire for conversation. And the three of them frequently exchanged tense, anxious looks with one another, noticing the very small amount of food each had eaten. Fortunately, Ron was apparently very hungry and his almost mercenary attack on the dishes of Irish stew mostly distracted his attention from the clear uneasiness among the other three.

As Ron appeared to be finished, he glanced at the other three curiously. "You all have been pretty quiet. And none of you ate that much- I honestly didn't think the Irish stew was that bad."

Natalie grimaced at Ron. "It's not the food Ron. We'd like to tell you something important but we have to go to er a more private place," said Natalie very quietly.

Harry and Hermione winced. She could almost feel the tension emanating from them.

Ron, also noting the agitated expressions of his three friends, looked completely taken aback. "Oh er well, let's go then." He stood up abruptly, startling the other three. "You all are very jumpy. It's not anything serious, is it?"

"It's not anything dangerous," answered Natalie, trying to pick her words carefully. "But it's still serious. Let's go."

They all stood up from their seats and left the Great Hall. Natalie led the way to the secret passageway and into the classroom. Natalie and Hermione cast very strong silencing and locking charms and both of them turned to face Ron who stood against the teacher's desk.

"What's this about?" asked Ron sharply, his arms crossed against his chest. Harry, who sat on the desk in front of Ron, shot Natalie a slightly panicked glance.

Natalie smiled reassuringly at Harry. She knew for Harry and Hermione, this would be perhaps the most terrifying conversation they had ever had with their friend.

"We have something to tell you that we've kept for you for some while," said Hermione, her voice trembling.

"No, I have something to tell you," said Natalie firmly, placing her hand on Hermione's arm. She planned to be the one to tell Ron because of the three, she would have the greatest composure in this situation and more importantly, it was her secret.

"What? You're hiding something?" exclaimed Ron, his voice rising. He looked in bewilderment at each of them.

Natalie closed her eyes, taking her time to choose her words before she proceeded. She then opened her eyes and stared directly into Ron's eyes. "Yes, we have. It's my secret."

"Alright," said Ron, the very confused expression not leaving his face. "Can you please tell me then unless you like having me on the edge of my seat?" asked Ron very harshly, looking indignantly at Hermione.

"Ron," cautioned Harry, the expression on his face becoming more somber.

"Ron – please give Natalie some time," said Hermione as forcefully as she could.

Natalie smiled at the courage of her two friends. She knew how difficult it was for them to overcome their anxiety and separate themselves from their guilt.

Ron sighed. "Yes, let's hear this secret or whatever it is."

Natalie nodded. "Ron, remember on Friday when you were confused because I called Kalissa by her first name?"

"Of course," answered Ron. "Harry and Hermione said that was just how you addressed your mother."

"Well they were lying to cover the actual truth," stated Natalie. "The reason I call her Kalissa is because she is my guardian, but not my mother by blood."

Ron glared furiously at Harry and Hermione. "You two didn't tell me –"

"Ron, I know you're angry but can you please hold it off until I'm done," said Natalie authoritively, fixing her eye on him.

Ron sighed, returning his eyes back to Natalie. "Go on."

"My actual mother by blood is Bellatrix Lestrange," said Natalie. "My father –"

"What? Did I hear you correctly?" cried Ron, his eyes bulging. He shook his head fervently, pacing around the three of them. "You seriously must be joking because your mother cannot be that women. What a load of rubbish, Natalie! You honestly shouldn't be fooling around with me!"

"She is and why would I try to lead you on after I told you at supper that we needed to tell you something important?" said Natalie flatly.

Ron, after his frantic pacing, stood only a few inches from her. "You're her child – How is that even possible?" shouted Ron, his ears turning red.

"She had an affair with a Muggle named David Claggerton – my father. She became pregnant, thinking that the father was her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange. After I was born, she realized who I was and then decided to kill my father and left me to burn to death in his burning house. Fortunately, Kalissa saved me and took me in as her child."

"That still does not make any sense," snapped Ron, his hands running through his hair. "Why would Bellatrix Lestrange have an affair with a Muggle? If she killed him after she found out you were his child, why didn't she kill him earlier? And why hasn't she come after you if she tried to kill you as a child?"

Natalie raised her eyebrows at Ron. Of the three, she would have least expected Ron to be the one who asked all the logical questions about her past. She also saw Harry and Hermione looking at her curiously as she had not told them the suspected reason behind Bellatrix's affair with her father.

"Kalissa's explanation for the affair is that Bellatrix was using my father basically for sex – you know the idea of sleeping with a Muggle is considered exotic. Apparently, even fanatical purebloods can't keep in the temptation. As to why she did not kill my father right after they slept together, Kalissa says – and I agree with it – that she either thought him to be relatively harmless or as hard as it may seem, she may have actually felt something for him. Obviously those feelings died once she saw me. And for your last question, she thought I died in the fire and until recently, she had no idea that maybe I did survive. But at that attack on Christmas, she saw me and definitely knows who I am. Fortunately, Voldemort, because her behavior has been reckless, has her under control for the time being. "

Ron breathed heavily, still staring at Natalie in wonder. "You are her daughter then," said Ron quietly as if to confirm the fact to himself.

"Yes," replied Natalie, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

As Natalie expected, once Ron gauged that Natalie's explanation seemed plausible and that Natalie must be telling the truth, he started to gaze at Natalie in a new light as if she had transformed into an unfamiliar and terrifying creature. "You're her daughter – Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter," repeated Ron, absorbing each word.

"The woman who tortured Neville's parents into insanity, who threatened to kill Ginny at the Department of Mysteries and who killed Sirius," said Ron in horror. Natalie could almost visualize the vile and disgusting image of the Bellatrix Lestrange he saw at the Department of Mysteries enter his mind. "And you're her daughter," enunciated Ron, connecting the image in his mind with the one in front of him.

"Yes," reiterated Natalie, knowing that the anger would eventually burst.

"Do you know who that woman is?" hissed Ron, eying her warily.

"Don't look at her like that," said Harry sharply. "She is nothing like that woman – you've known for her about a year and has she ever done anything that would even suggest Bellatrix Lestrange is her mother?"

Natalie smiled gratefully at Harry who had now appeared at her side.

Ron waved his finger furiously at Harry. "It doesn't change the fact that she has the same blood as maybe the second most evil person in the wizarding world. You saw her at the Department of Mysteries Harry."

Hermione now stepped up to confront Ron. "Yes and she's only Natalie's mother by blood – Natalie is nothing like her. Being related to someone by blood should not condemn that person."

"Oh, Natalie, it looks like you have a nice little army to defend you," spat Ron, stepping away from her in disgust. "So how long have you three been keeping this secret from poor ickle Ronniekins?"

Hermione stepped toward Ron, a pleading expression on her face. "Ron, please –"

"How long?" said Ron in a dangerously low voice, cutting off Hermione with a wave of his hand.

"I told them both at the beginning of the year in January. And I know you feel betrayed Ron, but I promised the two of them to not tell anyone – you should be angry at me," said Natalie, though knowing her words were futile.

Ron gave a cruel, cold laugh that unsettled Natalie. "Oh don't worry, I am definitely pissed off with you. But let me make sure my hearing is correct – my two best friends for the past five years decided to not tell me this apparently tiny secret that a person I consider a friend is the daughter of a raving lunatic. Harry and Hermione, man, I really do appreciate the loyalty – I had no idea the last five years meant so much to you."

Harry shook his head at Ron. "Ron, it's terrible that we kept this from you, but this secret is not something that we can –"

"What, Harry?" shouted Ron. "Was I not trustworthy to know this? Was snogging your girlfriend more important than trusting your best mate? Your best mate Harry!"

"Listen, Ron, it wasn't like that. It has nothing to do with how strongly Harry and Hermione value your friendship. I told Harry and Hermione not to tell anyone," said Natalie.

"Shut up!" snarled Ron. "Do you think I honestly care what you said to them? They've known you for eight months and me for almost six years."

"Ron, Natalie's also our best friend," said Harry ardently. Despite his firm tone, his face was paralyzed in stricken terror.

"Oh, so then, she is more important to you. Harry, I guess all those times you came over to my house in the summer, every time I risked my life for you means absolutely bloody nothing."

Harry's shoulders sagged. He stood still, his eyes downcast on the floor, not having the energy to appease Ron. Natalie knew Ron's comment added an even nastier, more stinging side to the guilt for Harry always worried about the peril he had allowed his friends to face.

"Ron, I'm very sorry. It was horrible to keep this from you," cried Hermione, her body shaking. She looked on the verge of tears. "You have to realize Ron, even though you must be absolutely furious, that we had an obligation to keep Natalie's secret because if anybody else knew, it could be very dangerous."

Ron gazed at her amazement. "I really thought that after all the time we spent together in the past two years, you would realize that I really do care for you. But obviously, I'm still the stupid, poor and clumsy red-headed boy who can't handle anything serious."

Natalie gaped at Ron. He had confessed his feelings for Hermione as well as his own insecurities, an emotional release for which she knew Hermione desperately craved. Yet, the pure disappointment driving this outburst rendered those confessions futile, likely burning into Hermione the searing notion that she alone struck the devastating blow to their relationship. Hermione looked absolutely crushed as she too backed away from Ron, the sobs finally breaking through.

Natalie believed that Ron had gone too far. Even though he deserved to be angry at his friends, there was no need for him to mount a relentless attack on their own insecurities, entrenching the guilt and regret that already consumed them.

Ron now was moving slowly towards Harry and Hermione, his teeth gritted. Before he could get any closer, Natalie stepped in front of her friends and walked quickly towards Ron until they were only a few feet apart.

"That's enough," said Natalie, trying to maintain her calm.

"Get the bloody hell away from me! I need to talk to those backstabbing morons I call friends," spat Ron, his eyes piercing into Natalie.

"Don't call them that. You have no idea how much it pained them to keep this from you. Harry is forever grateful to you and your family and I know how strongly Hermione feels for you," said Natalie cuttingly.

"They have a funny way of showing it," sneered Ron.

"You need to calm down. You're saying things that I know you don't mean," said Natalie evenly.

"How would you know anyway? You've only known us for 8 months. GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! I DON'T WANT PEOPLE LIKE YOU NEAR ME!"

Natalie's temper started to boil. Obviously, nothing she said would appease Ron. "Ron, I think you should leave this classroom before you say anything else that you might regret," said Natalie dispassionately. She motioned her wand to the door, silently reversing the locking spells she had cast.

"I'm not done!" shouted Ron, attempting to sidestep Natalie to get to Harry and Hermione.

Natalie blocked him, hopelessly trying to hold him off. "Saying horrible things to them won't be doing you any good," protested Natalie as she and Ron became entangled.

"Don't hurt her," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly as he immediately rushed over and pushed Natalie and Ron apart.

"I wasn't going to, but it's nice to know you have such a nice opinion of me," snarled Ron. "And you know what, I think your girlfriend is right, I should leave because clearly I'm not wanted here. My own two best mates can't even look me in the eye and say they've lied to me."

Ron viciously kicked a desk in front of him, picked up a chair and hurtled it across the room. Then he almost sprinted to the door.

Before he could open the door, Hermione, who had been in an almost tranced state, stood up and ran to the door, startling all of them. She somehow managed to reach Ron and whisper something to him. A look of surprise flickered across Ron's face before the scorching fury returned. He shook his head at Hermione, then opened the door and slammed it shut as he exited the room.

After the door closed, an extremely morose and awkward silence stretched between the three of them. Each looked away from the two, not wanting to see the expression and stance they expected. The tension had left the room with Ron, but in its place, lay a depressing, almost surreal resignation. Ron's tirade seemed unreal yet the cracked edge in one of the table legs, the broken fragments of the chair at the back of the room and the overwhelming image of his exiting figure crystallized the entire outburst, arousing the sickly and horribly foreboding certainty that as much as they could forecast and prepare for his anger, the unearthing of that fury in reality contained an augmented tension none of them could have imagined.

Natalie managed to pull herself from her shock to look at her two friends. What she saw, though it did not surprise her, struck another crushing blow to her spirits. Hermione stood against the door, her body vibrating with the sobs she could not control. Her entire body was frozen into a crouched and drooped posture as if she did not have the energy to keep standing but did not want to sit down in fear that she might not ever be able to come up. Harry, on the other side of the room by the teacher's desk, merely stood against the desk, his hands crossed against his head, gazing at the chalkboard on the opposite wall. A look of devastating regret tinged with numb shock drowned his face.

Not wanting either of them to immerse themselves further in this horrible sullenness, Natalie cleared her throat. To her relief, Hermione straightened her posture slightly, lifting her head to catch Natalie's eye.

She nodded at Natalie. "I'm going to go back to the dormitory. I feel very tired," said Hermione very shakily as the sobs still broke through her.

Natalie jerked her head to Harry. "Let's all go back together."

Harry also awoke from his reverie as he had now moved to Natalie's side, looking worriedly at both Natalie and Hermione. "That took a lot of energy. We should go back before it gets late," whispered Harry, his voice still trembling.

Hermione nodded, bringing out her wand to silently repair the cracked table leg and broken chair, banishing the chair to its previous spot. She reversed the silencing spells they had cast before all three of them left the room. It was hopefully the last time they would have to use the room for that purpose again.

As they walked along the passageway to the Fat Lady's portrait, Natalie noticed Hermione slowing down. Ron's outburst seemed to have drained all of her energy. Before Hermione could fall behind, Natalie latched onto her arm, holding her as she marched forward. Harry gave her a small smile.

Hermione smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry about that."

Natalie shook her head. "Absolutely no need. We all need a good night's sleep."

After about 5 more minutes of this march, they reached the portrait. Harry muttered the password to the Fat Lady, who shot them a rather perplexed glance, and they entered the Common Room. Not surprisingly, almost immediately after they entered, most of the inhabitants in the Common Room turned their attention to them. Natalie supposed Ron had not been so discreet with his anger.

Hermione released herself from Natalie. "Thank you Natalie. I think I'm going to get changed and just go to sleep," said Hermione under her breath, the wearisome exhaustion not leaving her face. "I'll be fine- I just need the rest," added Hermione in response to Natalie's worried glance.

Natalie nodded. "I'll be coming up a bit later too. I just need to talk to Harry."

"Alright, well good night to the two of you," said Hermione, mustering a small smile. She then left them, turning her head away from all the inquisitive stares, quickly heading up the staircase leading to their dormitories. Natalie noted that Lavender and Parvati were thankfully still in the Common Room though Lavender bore a very smug expression on her face that caused Natalie to have an intense desire for her wand.

Before she could reach into her robes, Harry grabbed Natalie's arm, pulling them over to the nearest set of chairs by the window facing the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake. Most of the other students resumed their usual conversations as Harry and Natalie sat down though a few of the girls still stared intently at the couple.

"I guess you saw Lavender," noted Natalie sullenly.

"Yes," said Harry. "It wasn't hard to see- you were practically glaring daggers at her."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Pisses me off," said Natalie under her breath.

Harry gave a hollow laugh as he started fiddling with his jumper, his eyes fixated on the window.

"Harry, about Ron, he didn't mean what he said. He is absolutely furious about not being told and those comments just come out like that," said Natalie, trying to sound as reassuring and soothing as she could.

Harry took a few moments to respond as he still gazed out of the window. Finally, he exhaled loudly. "I guess so Natalie but he is right. I did lie to him after everything he's done."

Natalie closed her eyes. Though she had continually warned herself that she would feel very guilty about Ron's reaction because she had obliged Harry and Hermione to not tell him, the preparation did not lessen the stinging and biting torment of that guilt.

She felt Harry's hand close upon her hand. "I'm sorry about what he said about you- even though he has a right to be angry, the way he looked at you is really horrible. And I know I've said it before, I'm really sorry about what I said before to you. I can't imagine you having to deal with my insults after I was the first person you ever told."

Natalie opened her eyes, smiling warmly at Harry. "Oh Harry, I've gotten past that. You really shouldn't be so worried about me. And Ron's comments don't hurt as much since shall I say, I've already had the experience." Seeing Harry's eyes cloud with distress, Natalie added quickly, "Harry, that argument between us is in the past. All it did was strengthen our relationship. I'm more worried about what Ron said to you and Hermione."

Harry sighed. "What he said did hurt but he was right-Hermione and I did betray his trust. He has every right to be hurt, angry, disappointed, frustrated. But if I had to do it over again, I would still keep your secret as would probably Hermione- we also had an obligation to you. It's just such a complex situation."

Natalie smiled at him in pure gratitude. "I've probably said this before but you and Hermione have no idea as to how grateful I am to the two of you for keeping the information to yourselves."

Harry shrugged his shoulders, still looking contemplatively out of the window. "I don't know how to explain it but it was just this gut feeling that telling Ron without your permission would be completely wrong. It was a pretty powerful instinct- Hermione could probably tell you in more logical terms. I guess that feeling also kind of covered the guilt for a while. I don't know about you but after his outburst, the guilt seems to be worse. I don't know if it was what he said or the way he made it clear that we actually did lie to him but it seems absolutely horrible that we only started feeling guilty on Friday."

"I'm pretty sure Hermione also had that same gut feeling," said Natalie with a small smile. "I also feel very bad that none of us noticed what we were hiding for so long-it shouldn't be at the back of my minds. Life has been pretty eventful but that's not a good excuse. However, that's in the past- we can learn from it and move on. From my experience with you, all of those depressing feelings, guilt, hurt, frustration, disappointment, were the worst immediately after I told you so I can't promise you but I expect it won't feel any worse than right now."

" not being so optimistic and reassuring," said Harry, squeezing her hand as he finally looked at her. "I'm sure Ron will need some time to just digest everything."

"Yes," replied Natalie, completely agreeing with Harry.

Harry frowned. "I'm just worried about Hermione. What Ron said to her might have been the worst thing he could say."

Natalie nodded in sadness. "She looked absolutely crushed, far more so than she was after she saw Ron snogging Lavender. They'll need time as well. Hopefully I'm not justifying my own decision but I still think that telling him now will eventually be better for their relationship. It's better to confront these feelings earlier than later."

"Like us," pointed Harry thoughtfully.

"Yes," said Natalie, giving him a small smile.

Harry yawned. "As much as I'd like to continue this wonderfully enlightening conversation, I think I'm going to sleep. Ron will probably be fast asleep or at least pretending to sleep."

"I think I'll be going to sleep too" said Natalie as they both stood up.

Harry nodded. Before they could walk, Harry grabbed Natalie's shoulder as he stared concernedly at Natalie. "Er, Natalie, I know if I was in your position, I'd feel pretty bad because it was my secret. But Natalie, remember that we can't change that and it's much better that he knows as you said before. You did the right thing- what I'm trying to say is basically that don't let the guilt eat you. It's not your fault that she's your mother- it's a burden you have to bear but it's not your fault."

Natalie smiled at him. He really had grown quite a bit since the beginning of the year. He always seemed to understand exactly what was bothering her. "I know," whispered Natalie. "Thank you very much, Harry. I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

"Neither do I," said Harry, with a playful edge to his voice. Natalie nudged him as they walked to the staircases leading to the boys and girls dormitories.

Once they reached the dormitories, Natalie lifted her head to give Harry a quick peck on the lips, not caring that most of the Common room probably had started them once they left their positions by the window. "Good night Harry. You need a good rest," whispered Natalie. Harry smiled at her before he climbed up the staircase to his dormitories.

Natalie quickly walked along the staircase, taking a few quick turns to get to the 6th year dormitory. As she entered, she noticed Hermione lying under the covers in her bed, her head perched on her elbow as her eyes pored disinterestedly over a textbook. Fortunately, Parvati and Lavender had remained in the Commom room, for once showing a small semblance of sensitivity.

Hearing Natalie walk into the room and plop rather loudly onto her head, Hermione lifted her eyes to look at Natalie. "How's Harry?" asked Hermione in concern.

"He's fine- what Ron said hurt him but I think he's optimistic," said Natalie truthfully. "How are you anyway? Ron said some pretty revealing things to you."

Hermione's face became instantly clouded in distress. "Yes, they were pretty surprising. He has every right to feel betrayed and I feel terrible for not telling him. But in the end, Natalie, I'd rather he knows now than much later."

"Yes,' said Natalie quietly. "He'll need some time but I'm certain he'll come through."

Hermione smiled at her. "I have no idea how you managed to stand up to him like that. I appreciate it-Harry and I were too shocked to confront him."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "I've been friends with him for much shorter time than you two and though the guilt was pretty bad for me, I guess it wasn't so bad as to numb me as for you and Harry."

Seeing the tired expression on Hermione's face, Natalie frowned. "You should put away the book and go to sleep. Telling Ron was exhausting and we need all the energy we can for this upcoming week."

Hermione gave her a small smile. "I thought reading would distract my mind but I guess even the most complex Ancient Runes topic can't interest me enough."

"Go to sleep," urged Natalie.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You should do the same."

"I will."

Under Natalie's insistent glare, Hermione finally obliged, placing her book on her bedside table. "Happy now?" asked Hermione, as she lay on her pillows.

"Very," said Natalie as she stood up to have a wash before she went to bed.

"Oh Natalie, by the way, I don't know if I told you already but please do not feel guilty about all of this. You had nothing to do with her being your mother. Even though I'm very upset now, I'm happy that you decided to tell him. Just don't blame yourself because neither Harry and I are," stated Hermione, a crisp, emphatic tone returning to her voice.

Natalie laughed. "Harry gave me the same speech, also as we were almost done talking."

"It's not a speech. I'm being serious," said Hermione reproachfully.

Natalie nodded. "I know and thanks. I'm telling myself that too," said Natalie softly before she began to leave. But as she reached the doorway, Natalie suddenly remembered that she had wanted to ask Hermione about something.

"Er Hermione?" asked Natalie tentatively.

"Yes?" answered Hermione lifting her head from the pillows to look curiously at Natalie.

"What was it that you said to Ron if you don't mind me asking?"

Hermione smiled at her. "That is something between me and him," said Hermione cuttingly before she dropped her head to her pillows and made a mock snore.

Natalie shook her head, laughing. "Sweet dreams," said Natalie loudly as she exited the room to go to the bathroom.

Natalie brushed her teeth, enjoyed a soothing, warm shower and returned to the dormitory to see that Hermione lay fast asleep, the drapes around her bed closed. To Natalie's dismay, Parvati and Lavender had joined, both of them preparing for bed. When Natalie entered, both of them immediately turned their heads to stare expectantly at her. Very indignant that they thought she would even try to give them an explanation, Natalie gave both of them a withering glare before she quickly walked to her bed and closed the drapes. No doubt, both of them had conducted a thorough analysis of why Ron seemed so furious.

As Natalie slid under the warm covers of her bed, she did not feel the familiar relaxation disseminate over her body. So many things occupied her mind, most of which surrounded Ron and about his behavior in the upcoming week. She hoped that because Harry and Hermione supported her, Ron would take much less time than Harry to accept her. However, seeing the blazing fury on his face today, she could not help but feel that such anger and resentment could not dissipate over a short period of time.

However, another worry had slowly arisen not to the forefront of her mind, but as a distressing influence that needled and poked at the edges of her thoughts. After viewing the utter disappointment in Ron, her mind made a few intermittent digressions to the secret about Snape and Lily that she concealed. How could she not expect Harry to react in the same way when he eventually found what she was hiding? Since that information directly concerned him, he would be justified in displaying an even greater degree of anger and resentment than Ron did. And what about Hermione who would not pleased either with what she held from Harry? And when she thought of Harry's reaction, her stomach instantly dropped, her insides feeling as if they were rapidly ripped out of her. Yet, she could not tell Harry for like Harry and Hermione said tonight, she had an obligation to Snape to keep his secret.

Natalie let out a breath she did not know she was holding. Her life had certainly become complex this year. Nevertheless, she had to worry about Ron first; how he would handle this information in the next few weeks was most important. She needed a good night's sleep before she could handle any more gloomier, depressing thoughts. Natalie closed her eyes, finally feeling the tiredness creep into her as her thoughts became much hazier and unfocused.

**A/N: How did you like Ron's reaction?**


	28. We are also friends

Chapter 28- We are also friends

**A/N: I am very, very sorry for the one month delay. Exams came in the way and delayed the editing process by a few weeks. I will be trying to resume my updates every two weeks or every week depending on how far ahead in the story I get. **

**Once again, thanks to everyone who has reviewed the stroy, has placed this story on alert or as one of their favourites. All the support is extremely uplifting so thank you!**

The next few days unraveled into a somber, catatonic extension of that Sunday night. Ron, not surprisingly, completely ignored the three of them. He instantly gravitated towards Lavender who was absolutely delighted to be able to again suffocate him with her voluptuous body. To Natalie's immense annoyance, she took great pleasure in rebuking Hermione for what great, unknown harm she had caused to Ron. He did not spend meals with them; rather, choosing to eat with Ginny, Dean and Seamus or with Lavender and Parvati. He abandoned his usual place next to them in most of the classes, electing to sit with Lavender and Parvati. Almost everybody in Gryffindor soon knew about the chasm between the three of them and Ron. And by Monday afternoon, the rumors had quickly spread to the entire school including the staff, ghosts and most of the portraits.

Harry and Hermione, though not as visibly devastated as they were on Sunday night, were not handling Ron's defection well. To an outside observer, neither appeared to be lodged in an utterly, depressed state. Hermione continued to participate with tremendous energy in class, her vigorous attitude towards her schoolwork not relenting. Harry's obsession with Malfoy did not waver, for once to Natalie's relief. Likely to distract himself from thinking about Ron, he spent more time scrutinizing the Marauder's Map. His conversations with the rest of his classmates and especially Ginny held the same note of assurance and enthusiasm. And as Quidditch captain, despite one of his team members blatantly treating him with immense contempt, Harry maintained his determination to lead the team and prepare them for their final match of the season.

But Natalie could easily discern the signs that Ron's abandonment very much hurt them even though it was not completely unexpected. Whenever Ron entered the room to sit usually by Lavender or sometimes Seamus and Dean, both Harry and Hermione instantly stared away from each other and from Natalie. Harry's jaw tightened and Hermione's eyebrows scrunched as she quickly channeled her attention onto whatever she had in front of her. At mealtimes, Natalie frequently picked each of them shooting looks of pained regret at Ron. And when the three of them were alone, the wearisome distress finally broke through. The optimism and apparent nonchalance conveyed for most of the day quickly evaporated to be replaced by a brooding silence.

Natalie, herself, was already starting to become very irritated with Ron. She knew he deserved to be angry, but the way he deliberately turned to Lavender was cruel to Hermione and even to Harry who never liked his best mate using another person for support. By that Saturday, after enduring another one of Lavender's haughty expressions, Natalie was beginning to think that maybe Ron needed some prodding in the right direction. Perhaps letting himself come to terms with Natalie's identity would not be the safest solution.

As the three sat in their usual spot by the fireplace in the common room, Natalie turned to Hermione with a hesitant expression on her face.

"What's bothering you?" asked Hermione briskly, touching up on the conclusion of her typically very long Transfiguration essay.

"About-

"Ron, is it?" interrupted Harry forcefully, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes," huffed Natalie, shooting him an annoyed look.

Hermione lifted her head from her essay to stare in exasperation at Natalie. "Natalie, we went over this before. It's only been a week since you told him- we knew he would be like this."

"It's bothering the two of quite a bit," said Natalie pointedly.

"We expected him to be this angry," retorted Harry though he refused to meet Natalie's insistent gaze.

"Yes you did," agreed Natalie. "But the reality of it is different than an imaginary situation the three of us conjured last Sunday night."

Hermione let out a breath of frustration. "Natalie, we just have to give him time."

"Hermione's right," added Harry.

"I know she is," said Natalie tentatively. "But you know, maybe a slight nudge here or there could-

"No," said Hermione firmly.

"Hermione-

"Natalie, please," said Hermione more emphatically, staring directly at Natalie.

Natalie raised her hands in defense. "Can you please allow me to say what I want to say?"

Hermione sighed. "Fine, but I know I'm not going to like it."

Natalie rolled her eyes at Hermione before considering how she would phrase her suggestion. "I don't think Ron will be able handle either one of you approaching him, at least not today. But I'm not nearly as close to him as you two are. Though he probably is disgusted with who I am, he doesn't feel as betrayed by me so he may be a bit calmer with me. Maybe if I just talked to him for a bit and try to make him see that I asked you two to keep the secret and not that you two thought him untrustworthy. And plus it's my secret so anything coming from me, he might be able to take a bit more seriously."

"You think he'll talk to you calmly?" posed Harry, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Well no, of course, if I insist, he may begrudgingly give me a few moments," answered Natalie, twiddling with her thumbs

"Or he may just flip you off," countered Harry.

"Well that's also a possibility," conceded Natalie. "But isn't it worth a shot?

Hermione frowned. "How sure are you that Ron will behave rationally with you? I agree that you're not as close to him but you still did hide your identity from him when the two of you were friends."

Natalie gulped. "That is right so he may not want to talk to me either. But Hermione, the point is I stand a better chance of reasoning with him because it's my secret and furthermore, he doesn't feel that I deceive him as much you two."

"Still, it's only been a week since you told him. That resentment is not going to diminish very much over a week," contended Hermione, still frowning.

"Yes," said Natalie. "But why not try to approach him? There is really no downside besides the fact that he will snap at me which is really no different than the way he's been treating us this week." She saw Harry slowly nod at her, his face dawning in comprehension.

"Natalie does have a point and Ron might listen to her because it's her identity we hid," pointed Harry, a hopeful glint in his eye.

"Still, Natalie, you're being very hopeful and you're risking a rather fierce argument with Ron," said Hermione, her eyebrows scrunching.

"So? I've had more heated arguments with Harry and even Ginny," argued Natalie, looking apologetically at Harry.

Hermione nodded. "Well, yes-

"Why not try it?" interrupted Harry, gazing at Hermione.

"Come on Hermione. If it can help Ron accept me and realize that you guys did not actually betray him, why not consider approaching him?" urged Natalie, looking pleadingly at Hermione.

"You seem awfully enthusiastic about approaching Ron," said Hermione cautiously.

"There's no use being so cynical," retorted Natalie.

"Hermione, it's a decent idea," said Harry, giving Natalie an encouraging smile.

Hermione raised her hands. "Alright! The logic at least sounds good but remember Ron's not in a good mood so-

"Don't be too optimistic," finished Natalie, smiling triumphantly at Hermione.

"When do you want to approach him?" asked Harry.

"Why not now? I'm done most of my homework for the weekend," replied Natalie, having already decided that she would definitely try to find Ron today.

"Now?" asked Harry, a bit bewildered. "I thought maybe after supper would be a good time."

Hermione shook her head at him. "Lavender will definitely catch him at supper and heaven knows what they get up to," said Hermione scathingly.

Harry snorted. "I'm pretty sure I can imagine."

"Anyway, now, I know Lavender and Parvati are upstairs in our dormitory so it actually would be a good time if you wanted to _try _to talk to Ron," continued Hermione.

Natalie rolled her eyes at Hermione's extra emphasis on "try." "Where is he then?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "He's usually in the common room on Saturday afternoons."

Hermione smiled. "Last year, when the weather got better, he decided to go flying on Saturday afternoon to practice for Quidditich. But that was last year when he was really a nervous wreck until the last match."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at her. "I'm so happy that you know his habits so well."

Hermione's cheeks turned a faint pink while Harry laughed. "Well you can check there," snapped Hermione, averting her eyes from both of them.

Realizing how they could most accurately find Ron, Natalie simply laughed even more.

"What?" asked Hermione irritably.

"Why don't we just use the Marauder's Map?" said Natalie, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

Harry slapped his forehead. "Of course. I'll go get it." He almost ran to his dormitories and after a few moments, returned back to them panting.

"Alright let's see," said Harry as he muttered the proper words to enchant the blank parchment. "Yes, Hermione, you were right- he is at the pitch."

Hermione looked slightly proud of herself. "Well go on Natalie. Just remember if you think he's ready to lose his temper, please back off, not for your sake but more for Ron's."

"Yes mother," said Natalie in a singsong voice as she stood up. Harry chuckled while Hermione glared at her.

"But I agree with Hermione. Be careful," said Harry in a much more solemn tone. "Ron's temper can be something to behold."

"As can your temper," countered Natalie in that same annoying singsong voice. Shaking her head at the indignant expressions on both Harry and Hermione's faces, Natalie bid them farewell and headed out of the Portrait hole.

She was very surprised that both of them agreed with her idea. She agreed with the reasoning behind her suggestion but the way it would play out in reality was not so certain. Feeling rather buoyed at a chance of possibly clarifying Sunday night with Ron, Natalie walked at a fast pace through the school and out the front doors. It was a much cloudier and gloomier looking afternoon than last weekend. A noticeable grey tinge underlined the clouds, giving them a nastily swollen appearance, preventing almost any sunlight from breaking through. Undoubtedly, a spring storm would be occurring sometime soon. The wind was quite strong, pushing and resisting her movement though it was not the viciously biting and howling wind they had endured over the winter. As she made her way to the pitch, her stomach began to squirm and twist in uneasiness. Though she could hold her own in an argument with Ron, the experience would still be very unpleasant.

Reaching the Quiddtich stands and passing through the tunnel to the pitch, Natalie spotted Ron flying high above one of the Keeper hoops. She wondered why he would practice without anybody to throw the Quaffle at him. There really was no sense in practicing so she presumed he was using the flying as a way to tear himself from Lavender and likely to relax and mull over his thoughts. Hopefully, he would be in a slightly more contemplative mood.

Natalie walked to the middle of pitch and waved at Ron. She saw his broom lower slightly as he likely tried to determine who she was. Then a moment or two later, when he probably realized it was her, Ron flew away from Natalie to behind the loop, over the stands. Natalie crossed her arms against her chest, holding her stance. She would not be deterred that easily. Ron continued to circle around the pitch, ignoring Natalie and not bothering even once to look at her.

After about ten minutes, with Natalie still standing in the same position, Ron lowered his broom, zooming towards the exit. Natalie quickly ran to the tunnel leading to the outside of the stadium. As Ron saw her run, he angled his broom more sharply. They both managed to reach the tunnel at the same time.

Ron disembarked from his broomstick, holding it in his hand. He glared at Natalie.

"Why are you here?" said Ron through gritted teeth as he turned around.

"Obviously to talk to you," said Natalie wryly.

Ron abruptly swiveled his head to shoot her another vicious glare. "You don't honestly find this funny, do you?"

"Of course not," replied Natalie, crossing her arms against chest. "You deserve to be absolutely pissed at not being told, but what you said to Harry and Hermione was cruel. There was no need to stomp on their insecurities like that."

"I don't need a lecture, Miss _Lestrange_," snarled Ron, turning his body to walk out of the tunnel.

Natalie followed him. "I'm alright with you being disgusted by who I am, but Harry and Hermione did not betray you," said Natalie stubbornly.

Ron did not respond as he kept walking. Natalie managed to catch up to him as he reached the end of the tunnel. When she placed her hand on his shoulder, Ron immediately jerked his body away.

"Please do not touch me," said Ron in a low, dangerous growl.

Natalie did not flinch. "Do you honestly want to keep ignoring the rest of us or just snapping at us when we even try to talk to you?"

Ron looked at her, outraged. "This is the first time any one of you has tried to talk to me so no, I haven't snapped at any of you until now. Maybe if my friends showed me more respect, I'd be obliged to give them some attention."

"And I suppose Lavender deserves your full attention now," said Natalie acidly, instantly regretting the comment.

Ron snorted. "Exactly what I expected. Lavender has bloody nothing to do with this," spat Ron, stomping his foot on the ground.

As he turned away, Natalie decided this may be her last shot and she knew what to say. "But I do, don't I Ron?"

Ron let out a hollow laugh. "That's certainly an understatement."

Natalie paused, noticing Ron had not moved even though he had his back to her. She needed to choose her words carefully. "Fine, if you don't want to talk about Harry and Hermione, you still must have questions about what I told you. On Sunday, you were far too angry to really get the full grasp of what I told you."

"I think I got the gist. You're Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter," said Ron sardonically.

"There must be questions, though?" said Natalie calmly. She rationalized that it would be better for Ron and her to talk civilly about her identity if he did not want to discuss Harry and Hermione.

"Don't lure me into that trap," said Ron though Natalie could detect a slightly curious tone in his voice.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't, honestly," said Natalie innocently. "We don't have to talk about Harry and Hermione at all. We just have to talk and it would be better that we talked more about my mother."

She could see her argument resonate with Ron. His shoulders sagged as he let out a huge breath. After a few moments of seemingly deep contemplation, Ron turned around, a neutral expression on his face.

"Fine," said Ron quietly. "I do have some questions. I'm still pissed at all of you, but I would like –"

"The full picture," said Natalie, giving him a small smile.

Ron nodded. "Let's go over to the stands. The Ravenclaws practice in about half an hour – that should give you enough time to fill me in more."

Natalie nodded. Both of them walked back through the tunnel. Natalie twiddled her thumbs nervously, uncertain about what questions he would ask and a bit elated that she had managed to calm him. Ron, on the other head, walked ahead of Natalie with a stiff, uninviting posture. His body language definitely suggested that he would prefer to keep as far a distance as possible from Natalie.

Natalie sighed. Ron was even more judgmental than Harry so this aversion was completely expected. Still, she could not pretend that it did not hurt when she saw the contempt and disdain for her on Ron's face.

Ron made a sharp turn from the tunnel, sitting down on the closest seat on the right side of the tunnel. Natalie followed, taking a seat two seats away from Ron.

Natalie looked at Ron whose eyes were fixed squarely on the pitch. "So what questions do you have?" asked Natalie, a brisk edge to her voice.

Ron nodded. "A few. You said that Bellatrix knew who you were during that attack on Christmas. Why has she not tried to come to the school or even make an attempt to come after you?"

"Well, Dumbledore said that her behavior prior to the Christmas attack and after was quite wild and reckless. She almost was caught by Aurors numerous times –"

"So, she suspected your identity for some time," noted Ron.

Natalie nodded. "I think so. Anyway, Voldemort obviously was not pleased with her. So, apparently, Dumbledore said he has kept her locked up for most of this term. Had she been free, I daresay she would have tried to get to me." Natalie gave a shudder, remembering the sickening contempt in her mother's eyes that Christmas night. She definitely did not want another encounter like that.

Her uneasiness did not go unnoticed by Ron who briefly flicked his head to look at her with an unreadable expression before his eyes returned to the pitch. "Are Dumbledore and Kalissa the only ones who know as well as –"

"Harry and Hermione," completed Natalie for him.

Ron's eyes darkened. "Yes."

"McGonagall also knows," answered Natalie. When Ron looked at her quizzically, Natalie added, "She is Kalissa's best friend – they went to school together at Hogwarts. I've known her basically for my entire life – she's like a very close aunt to me."

Ron chuckled. "Hard to imagine McGonagall as an aunt."

Natalie smiled at the humour in Ron's voice. Hopefully, he was starting to feel more comfortable with her. "The way you see her, it is difficult to imagine, but with family and friends, she is a completely different person."

Ron nodded. "I suppose. Anyway, getting back, how did Kalissa know to save you?"

"My father, David Claggerton, used to be Kalissa's neighbour. When she saw the fire, she quickly apparated in. Seeing my father dead, she saw me and rushed out of there. Fortunately, my mother had left immediately after the fire," replied Natalie, gulping at how horribly cruel her mother was.

"Who tries to burn a baby alive?" asked Ron, looking up at the skies. Natalie could hear a strong undercurrent of sympathy in his voice.

"Probably only her and Voldemort," said Natalie. She rolled her eyes as Ron again winced.

"You know, you need to learn how to say his name," commented Natalie amusedly.

"When you grow up hearing all those stories about him and seeing your parents unable to say his name, it's almost impossible to try to say that name," replied Ron, his voice devoid of anger. As if he realized his civil tone, he shook his head at himself.

"You do know that Malfoy is your cousin?" said Ron disgustedly.

"As is Tonks," noted Natalie, smiling at him. "And Sirius would have been an uncle. So though I'm pretty ashamed to be a part of that family, there are some good people to take after."

"Tonks is pretty good," agreed Ron. He then turned to her, a curious expression on his face almost as he had been suddenly hit with a revelation. "You aren't that proud to be a member of the Blacks? I mean even though they are pureblood bigots, they are considered a prestigious family."

"Why would I?" said Natalie coolly. "I absolutely loathe everything associated with my mother. And besides that, all that pureblooded nonsense, you must know, I detest. Hermione is one of my best friends after all and Harry, a half blood, is my boyfriend."

Ron nodded as he continued to stare at her. Natalie could tell that he was appraising her, seeing the familiarity to Bellatrix, but also assessing her own words. Though she wanted Ron to realize that she had no desire to be anything like her mother, the thorough examination of her did make her uncomfortable.

After a few very long moments, Ron nodded again as his eyes flickered away from her to focus on the loop. However, his body was still positioned away her.

"Done examining me?" asked Natalie, a playful tone to her voice.

"Yes," said Ron, a small smile on his lips. "You must have thought I was checking you out."

"Not in these circumstances," quipped Natalie, trying to contain her elation at the complete lack of resentment in his voice. If anything, his tone was a bit apologetic.

Ron chuckled. He then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them and turning to stare Natalie in the eyes. "Alright, I'm not used to this sort of thing, but I'll tell you that I'm still pissed that you never told me before. But thinking about it, this is not the type of thing you tell someone when you're just becoming friends."

"And we only started getting closer after your poisoning," pointed Natalie.

"Yes," agreed Ron as he took another loud breath. His expression became slightly softer as he continued to gaze at her. "And having heard you and knowing you for 7 months now, and as a friend for a month, it would take an idiot to not see that you don't like who your mother is. You're nothing like her by the way. I'm sorry for jumping to those conclusions and treating you like the plague. I, of all people, should know your background doesn't matter at all."

Natalie absolutely beamed at him. He certainly was handling her secret in a much more mature way than she would have ever expected. "Thank you Ron. It really means a lot," said Natalie quietly.

Ron gave her a small smile. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to admit I'm wrong."

Natalie laughed. "I'm probably just as stubborn, so I would know." As she pondered over Ron's words again, a question popped into her mind. "Ron, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

A confused expression crossed Ron's face. "Sure, though what would you want to ask me?"

"Well, you mentioned that you jumped to conclusions about me. What were those conclusions?"

Ron sighed. "Always so curious." He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "You won't like what I'm going to say," cautioned Ron.

"I can handle it," said Natalie defensively.

"Alright. Well, I guess it was because I was so angry at not being told your secret, but when you said you were her daughter, I don't know how to say it, but it just sort of clicked that you wouldn't mind being her daughter – that you didn't feel bad for all those crimes she committed, that because she was your mother, you still felt, er, uh – how do you say it? – obligated to her and also that you were happy to be part of that pure blooded family, the Blacks."

Natalie stared at him in disbelief. "Those are quite big assumptions to make. You do know that I have no obligation to her whatsoever and that I hate her for all those crimes. The first time I stared at Neville at that Opening feast, I felt so bad."

Ron gave a shaky laugh. "Now I see all those signs. And plus, I should have realized you were raised by one of You-know-who's greatest enemies so it would be almost impossible for you to like her."

"Blinded by anger would be the appropriate phrase to describe your state," said Natalie amusedly.

Ron laughed. "So fancy." He then scooted over so that they were sitting side by side.

"I'm not the plague now," asked Natalie, raising her eyebrow. Her spirits were absolutely soaring at how in about ten minutes, Ron had made an apology to her, accepted her identity and now seemed back to his easygoing self. There was still the business of talking about Harry and Hermione; a topic that Natalie did not yet want to pursue. She figured to come to terms with those feelings, Ron would need time.

Ron blushed. "Sorry about that. I'd be pretty pissed if I was in your position."

Natalie waved her wand nonchalantly. "Harry was like that with me for a month so I'm pretty prepared."

"Yeah, I figured that was what your big fight was about," said Ron knowingly.

"I will say that you have handled this much better than he did," said Natalie.

"Am I more mature?" asked Ron, his eyes glittering with mirth.

"I wouldn't go that far with some of the other things you say," replied Natalie, winking at him. She noticed Ron suddenly doubling over with laughter. "Ron, come on, what's so funny?"

Ron was still bent over, his body shaking with laughter. Natalie briefly wandered whether he had lost some sanity. She reached over, placing her arms on his shoulders to stop the shaking. "Ron? Everything alright?" asked Natalie uncertainly.

Ron finally lifted his head to smile at Natalie. "Have you ever – you know – looked at the big picture?"

"The big picture?" answered Natalie quizzically.

Ron nodded enthusiastically at her. "You're Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter, but now also the girlfriend of one, Harry Potter, the 'Chosen One.' I reckon that's a nice little position you have."

Natalie then started laughing loudly, realizing the absurdity of Ron's statement. "It is quite tragic, isn't it?"

"Very. Trouble just likes to find us," said Ron, casting his arm around Natalie as they both continued to giggle like little girls.

"You know, Ron, we really need to spend more time together," said Natalie after they finally stopped laughing. "You have a nice take on everything. I don't think I ever found humour in the fact that my blood mother would like very much to make a grave for my boyfriend."

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a funny person."

They heard the scuffling noises of many footsteps in the tunnel leading to the pitch. "Looks like we have company," said Ron lazily, glancing at his watch. "Yup, Ravenclaws ready to practice."

The Ravenclaw Quidditch team emerged from the tunnel, fully clad in their Quidditch robes for training. Natalie's eyes were drawn to a pretty Chinese girl with long black hair and a very slim, well defined body. She sullenly recognized her to be Cho Chang, the girl Harry had briefly dated last year.

A stocky, burly boy with long, wavy brown hair made his way to Natalie and Ron. She supposed him to be the Quidditch captain for Ravenclaw.

"Weasley," the boy acknowledged gruffly. "What are you doing here? I specifically booked the pitch for this time."

Ron waved his hand dismissively at the boy. "No need to get in a hissy fit, Mames. We aren't spying on you lot."

"Aren't you Harry Potter's girlfriend?" blurted a younger, black-haired boy who had walked behind the captain.

Natalie gritted her teeth. "Yes." She and Ron stood up to leave. She noticed Chang watching her closely.

"Weasley and you seemed pretty close there," said Mames brazenly.

"Well, that's what friends do. I don't know how it is in Ravenclaw, but a girl and boy can be friends without feeling the urge to snog one another," snapped Natalie, glaring at Mames.

Mames raised his hand, an arrogant smile appearing on his face. "Short fuse there, I see."

"Yes," said Natalie, still glaring. "And Ron and I will leave now."

Ron glanced disdainfully at Mames before he and Natalie quickly walked down the steps, pushing through Mames and the younger black haired boy.

As they traveled through the tunnel, Ron grinned apologetically at Natalie. "Sorry about that – guess the fact that I had my arm around your shoulders gave Mames ideas."

Natalie waved him off. "Can't a boy and girl touch each other without rumors breaking out across the school?"

Ron snickered. "I think dating Harry Potter has something to do with the breaking of rumors," said Ron amicably. They exited the tunnel and headed across the grounds back to the school.

"Unfortunately, it does," agreed Natalie. "I can just imagine Lavender harassing me now because I'm trying to steal her 'Won-won'."

Ron cringed. "Well, yeah, if she does, sorry about it."

Natalie laughed. "Honestly, Ron, sometimes you can be so perceptive and other times, you're just well, just a blind, teenage boy."

"Anyway," continued Natalie, now gazing at Ron. "I see that you've shown more interest in Lavender since Sunday."

Ron's brow furrowed. "Well," stuttered Ron. "I, I just –"

"Wanted to upset Hermione," said Natalie, giving him a small smile.

Ron turned his head from Natalie. "We weren't going to talk about Harry and Hermione," said Ron darkly. "You said so."

"Yes, but can you hear me out? You don't have to listen to me, just let me have my say," said Natalie cautiously, preparing for a snappy retort.

"You really don't give up do you?" asked Ron wearily, his eyes returning to Natalie.

"Of course not. How would I win any argument with Harry?" said Natalie impetuously.

"I suppose so," said Ron, his lips twitching slightly. He gritted his teeth, clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, appearing to undergo a mental struggle as to whether he should let Natalie continue.

His eyes averted from Natalie, Ron unclenched his fists and sighed. "Fine. Have your say, but don't think that I'll listen to you."

Natalie paused, choosing her words though she knew the approach she would take. "I know you're angry with Harry and Hermione, but could you put yourself in their positions? Imagine if I was going out with you and Harry was in your place –"

"What? Why would I go out with you?" spluttered Ron, his face beet red.

Natalie snapped her fingers in annoyance. "Do you want to switch places with Hermione?"

Seeing the ashen look on his face, Natalie continued. "So as I said, picture yourself in Harry's position and I told you this secret, obliging you not to discuss it with anyone else. Even though Harry's your best friend, would you tell him?"

Ron paused in their walk to look strangely at Natalie who had also stopped, watching Ron for his reaction.

"Well, if you put it that way, you'd be my girlfriend," said Ron slowly, his eyebrows scrunched. "And it's your secret so it wouldn't be my business to tell Harry even if I thought he deserved to know."

"Yes,' enunciated Natalie, smiling at Ron. "But you still view Harry as your best mate and would talk to him about anything else."

"Er, yeah, of course," said Ron, still staring oddly at Natalie.

"So it's not that you don't trust Harry, but rather that it's not your secret to tell," said Natalie.

Ron remained silent for a few, very long moments, letting Natalie's words reverberate in his mind. She hoped that this angle would, if anything, make it slightly clearer that neither Harry nor Hermione never thought him to be untrustworthy.

"Alright," said Ron, frowning. "I see what you're saying – so you're the one who didn't trust me."

Natalie had not expected this conclusion. "Well, er, Ron," stammered Natalie, struggling under Ron's expectant gaze. "Yes, fine, I didn't know you well enough to be fully confident that you wouldn't tell anyone else."

Ron's eyes flickered in understanding. "And now you do?"

"Um," answered Natalie, running a hand anxiously through her hair. "I decided to have faith in Hermione and Harry's trust in you and your trust in them. I mean we still do not know each other that well, but I think we've become close enough where I know, because of Harry and Hermione, you won't tell anyone."

"I wouldn't have told anyone anyway," said Ron quietly.

"I'm starting to realize that," said Natalie, a sincere smile breaking out on her face.

"Good," said Ron, giving Natalie a small smile.

Before Ron could resume walking, Natalie raised her hand to stop him. "And do you see why Harry and Hermione actually did not betray you by keeping my secret?"

"You're very determined about this, aren't you?" said Ron irritably.

"Yes I am," said Natalie, crossing her arms across her chest.

Ron shook his head fervently at her. "It's not that simple," answered Ron in frustration.

He looked at Natalie, visibly struggling with what to say. "Ron, you don't have to hide anything from me," said Natalie, raising her eyebrows at him.

Ron considered her for another few, uncomfortable moments before sighing. "Fine," conceded Ron. "I don't want to offend you Natalie, but I've been friends with Harry and Hermione much longer than you have. We've been through practically everything together. Harry's basically my brother and well Hermione, she's –"

"I know," said Natalie, noticing the tinge of red on Ron's ears.

"Um, yeah, so you see," continued Ron. "And don't take this too seriously Natalie, but they've only known for you about 7 to 8 months or so. I may be sounding like a petty little child but it just seems, well, I don't know how to say it – that my friendship with both of them was sort of thrown away because of this new friendship they have with you. I understand why they would want to keep your identity hidden and why it's not their secret to tell. But the fact is that we have always been completely honest with one another and this is the first time they've both hid something very big from me. And the anger and jealousy – it's just there. I know I shouldn't be this angry and I shouldn't be jealous at all, but there's no way I can completely reason with myself so that those feelings just go away."

Natalie wrapped her arm around Ron. She smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks for being so honest," said Natalie. "As for your anger, I'm pretty sure it will go away with time."

"I figured that's how it would work – that's how it was with Hermione too," said Ron grimly. He turned his head to Natalie to look anxiously at her. "Natalie, I really didn't mean to say that you don't deserve to be close to Harry and Hermione. I just, er, wanted to –"

"Make sure I knew your feelings," finished Natalie.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, that's how you say it."

Natalie squeezed his shoulders. "Thanks again. I appreciate it Ron," whispered Natalie.

Ron was looking at her in slight confusion. "You're not angry with me?"

Natalie released Ron from their half hug. She grinned at him. "Why would I be? All that anger and jealousy is completely justified – you just need time and everything won't be as strong."

"You know, Ron," continued Natalie, still grinning at him. "You're much more sensitive and mature than you seem."

"It's the Weasley charm," said Ron, returning her cheeky grin, all of the previous anxiety quickly dissipating.

Natalie stroked her chin in mock thought. "You know, maybe if you let Hermione see this side of you, it might do wonders for the two of you."

"I imagine she's pretty pissed with me," said Ron morosely. Natalie could detect a noticeable undercurrent of fear in his voice.

"Nah," said Natalie as confidently as she could. "She understands and she doesn't blame you."

"But Lavender –"

"She would forgive you for that," assured Natalie.

"You think? I mean she really does not like Lavender," said Ron sullenly.

"Oh come on Ron. Do you honestly think that she believes your sudden interest in Lavender this week has nothing to do with what you learned on Sunday evening?"

A slight trace of hope crept into the dreary somberness on Ron's face. "Yeah, I suppose you're right about that, but she must be angry."

"She's been angrier this year," said Natalie emphatically.

"Right about that too," said Ron sheepishly.

"You two will get through this. Trust me. Harry and I were able to resolve our fight about my identity and we weren't friends for a fraction of the time you and Hermione have been."

"Yes. If you put it that way, then all we need is just time for me to become calmer," said Ron thoughtfully. "I still don't think I'll be able to talk to either Hermione or Harry without being pissed."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"But I'll try not to spend as much time with Lavender," said Ron, his tone hardening.

"That would be very smart," noted Natalie. An idea came to her though she did not how to suggest it to Ron without seeming a bit controlling. "Maybe you know, you and I are pretty comfortable with one another so perhaps, you could –"

"Spend more time with you instead of Lavender," said Ron, waggling his eyebrows playfully. "Do you really want the rumors to spread like wildfire?"

Natalie snorted. "Honestly, I don't care what those idiotic fangirls gossip about."

"So you don't care about yourself?" asked Ron.

"Oh shut up Ron," scowled Natalie though she could barely restrain herself from smiling. "You know what I was saying."

"You are a pretty good chess player and you could help me with my homework," said Ron, rubbing his chin in feigned contemplation.

"Ron," warned Natalie, punching his arm.

"Fine, fine, calm down. My goodness, little ball of fire you are," said Ron defensively. "You would make a good substitute for Lavender- as well as she snogs, the smothering just gets on my nerves."

"That actually rhymed," said Natalie.

"Now, who's the one not being serious?" said Ron, rolling his eyes in a perfect imitation of Hermione.

"Alright, so sounds good? I gather by the way we're joking around with each other, you aren't too pissed with me."

"No, I'm not actually – isn't that a bit surprising?" asked Ron with a goofy grin.

"Yeah it is," said Natalie, astonished at the fact that Ron did not bear any resentment towards her.

Ron laughed. "I mean you're Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter and you never told me the entire year about that. Yet I have no problem with you keeping that secret."

"Could you say it any louder?" Natalie looked around nervously, noticing in relief that no students were anywhere near them. The closest person appeared to be Hagrid, who judging by the smoke coming from his hut, was having supper.

"Sorry about that," said Ron apologetically. "But don't you find it pretty funny that I'm not angry with you?"

Natalie nodded. "Not funny as more amazed. I mean I guess you know that we weren't close enough for me not telling you to feel like a betrayal of trust."

"Always so eloquent," repeated Ron.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "You should try it, sometimes."

"I thought you said I was 'much more sensitive and mature than I seem'," said Ron playfully.

"Yes, I did and I meant it," answered Natalie, nudging him in the ribs. "Shall we go back to the castle? I'm almost expecting the rain to just burst through and soak us at any minute."

Ron nodded, resuming his walk with a noticeable bounce in his step. Natalie followed, smiling to herself. She could not believe how successful this supposedly half hearted attempt to speak to Ron was.

**What do you think? **

**I wanted to develop the Natalie/Ron friendship for some time and this offered the perfect moment. **

**I have to admit that this was probably the most enjoyable chapter for me to write. **

**There's a dynamic to the Natalie/Ron friendship that none of the other friendships and relationships have.**

**By the way, the story will continue to have Natalie/Harry as the main ship; there will be no Ron/Natalie and no Harry/Hermione (despite this being my favourite canon ship). I wanted to make this clear since the Natalie/Ron interaction in this chapter and my own sentiments about Harry/Hermione may give readers the wrong ideas about my intentions. Natalie/Harry is the relationship that I've envisioned and wanted to make as realistic as possible since I started the story.**

**And to finish this rambling note, as you can tell by this chapter, my interpretation of Ron is not as harsh as most other fanfics but I think it is completely within the character JKR gives us in canon. Do you guys like this interpretation (or not)?**


	29. Watch Out Lavender

Chapter 29- Watch out Lavender

**A/N: Thanks to all the reviews for the hannahlucyy, SerinityAngels, BookyGurl, coolicetwilight, mitchi-nin and FlameSaybre03 for your reviews of the last chapter! All of your comments and input are greatly appreciated and the support is tremendous. Normally, I would reply but fanfiction was not letting me reply to your revies. Definitely, for this chapter, I'll try find a way to fix that.**

**And thanks to everyone who continues to place this story on their favourites list or on alert.**

**Disclaimer: Besides Natalie and Kalissa, I own zero percent of the wizarding world; all of which belongs to the creative genius that is JK Rowling.**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

"Harry, what are you doing with that book?" asked Natalie sharply.

"Looking up some potions," replied Harry nonchalantly, quickly closing the book as he glanced absently around the library. They were in a more secluded corner of the library with only a few first years at a nearby table so Natalie knew nothing had caught Harry's interest.

"For a Transfigurations essay?" asked Hermione, a frown on her face.

"Fine," huffed Harry in annoyance. "I was looking at some of the Prince's spells."

Natalie stared at him reproachfully. "Harry, you can't be using those spells when you don't know the Prince is and you don't know what those spells do. Especially when a few of the spells are specifically marked for 'enemies.'"

"Yes, yes, I know," said Harry in exasperation. "You know, why don't you go play chess with Ron now? It would get you off my case."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him. After her conversation with him last Saturday, Ron had taken her suggestion to spend more time with her very seriously. Over the past five days, they must have played at least ten chess matches, Even more surprisingly, every day, he asked Natalie to study with him in the library, telling Lavender that he needed help in Transfiguration and Potions. She suspected Ron's newfound resolve to remain at Natalie's side represented more of a signal to Harry and Hermione that while his anger towards them still lingered, he was not severing all connections with them.

"You two must be setting a record for chess matches played in one week," said Hermione bemusedly.

"I don't think I've ever spent so much time alone with Ron," acknowledged Natalie. Looking jokingly at Harry, she added, "You shouldn't be jealous Harry."

In response, both Harry and Hermione were both pleasantly surprised at how well Ron had reacted to Natalie's approach. Though he did not talk much to either of them, he did not treat them with the same dismissive, impassionate coldness of the previous week. There were simple, polite greetings and acknowledgements. To Natalie's relief, Ron elected to sit beside them at some meals and returned to his usual spot in all of their classes at the table the four of them occupied. However, a noticeable tension still hovered between the three very good friends. Ron had indeed confessed to Natalie yesterday that his resentment towards the other two had yet to abate to the point where he could have a reasonable conversation with either Harry or Hermione without losing his temper.

"You should worry about Lavender," warned Harry with a small smile on his face.

"I think I've replaced Hermione as her least favourite person," said Natalie gloomily.

"And not to mention the rumors abound that you've suddenly left Harry Potter for Ron Weasley," added Hermione dramatically.

"I don't remember the gossip at Durmstrang being this bad, but maybe that's because I was never at the center of it," said Natalie.

"How is Ron anyway?" asked Harry, the anxiety evident in his voice. Despite Ron's far less hostile behavior over the past week, not being able to talk to their best friend still brought significant distress to both Harry and Hermione.

"He's doing well," answered Natalie truthfully. "He misses you guys but he says he still needs some more time."

"How much longer do you think?" asked Hermione, staring intently at Natalie.

Natalie smiled. They had this conversation each day from Saturday onwards. "Not much longer- I say the most is about 3 or 4 days. He's not nearly as angry as he was on Saturday."

Harry sighed. "Well that's encouraging. It's nice that the two of you are closer but I still can't believe that he's not angry at you."

Hermione nodded. "When you think about it, nothing makes much sense. Don't take this the wrong way Natalie but Ron's always been, of the three of us, the one who bears grudges for the longest time, especially against people with Slytherin or Death Eater backgrounds. And you saw how long it took Harry to accept who you were."

"I was pretty amazed. I mean one conversation and Ron had no problem who I was," agreed Natalie. "But with the questions he asked me about her, I gathered that he had considered my situation quite a bit. And I think after he saw that I really hate her, everything, how you would say it, clicked for him that I'm only related to her by blood."

"And as well," continued Natalie. "he and I were not very close at all before so I think he understood why I wouldn't tell him about my identity. I know he should be angry at me for forcing you guys to keep my secret but he doesn't seem to see it that way. It's more like he believes-

"That we had a choice to listen to you or tell him and he's angry because we made the former choice," completed Harry for her.

"Yes," said Natalie, smiling at him. "But on Saturday, I might have told you this, but when I asked him what he would do if he was in your position, he said that he would do the exact same thing as you two because it wasn't his secret to tell."

"No, you didn't tell us that Natalie," said Harry, looking slightly taken aback. "Then why would he be so furious with us if he knew we made the right choice?"

"Because the anger still exists, Harry," answered Hermione wisely. "And you can't control it by rationalizing with yourself. Remember in third year when I was furious with him because he hated Crookshanks, well then, I knew that it was a stupid thing to argue about but I was just so angry with Ron that I couldn't talk to him without shouting for a long while."

Harry nodded. "As long as Ron eventually talks to us, I'll be happy," said Harry, the longing clear in his voice.

Natalie placed her hand over his, giving him her warmest smile. "You don't need to worry about that, Harry," said Natalie softly.

Harry squeezed her hand. "Thanks for being smart and brave enough to go to him on Saturday."

Hermione smiled at her too. "It has turned out to be one of your more brilliant ideas."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders, blushing. "I'm the reason we're all in this mess in the first place so you guys shouldn't really be thanking me."

Harry waved her off. "The one good thing that came out of this is that you and Ron got a lot closer."

Natalie smiled. "He's much more mature than I ever thought he could be. And Hermione, he really cares about you."

Hermione's cheeks turned a bright red. "Well," spluttered Hermione. "The feeling's mutual."

"And he doesn't care about me?" asked Harry, a smirk on his face.

Natalie playfully slapped his shoulder. "Not in that way, you twit."

"Anyway, I really need to finish this Transfiguration essay so can we, you know, focus?" said Natalie.

"Of course," said Hermione crisply, returning her eyes to the textbook.

Natalie released her hand from Harry's hand as she reached for more parchment. "What? You don't want to hold hands now?" cried Harry in feigned hurt.

"Honestly," muttered Natalie as Hermione chuckled. "I was just going to get parchment."

The three of them silently finished and checked their essays. They left the library, taking a few secret passageways to reach the corridor leading to the Fat Lady when Natalie spotted Ron walking towards them rather quickly from the opposite direction.

"Get ready for a chess match," whispered Harry in Natalie's ear.

When Ron reached them, he stopped, nodding at the three of them, but also surprisingly gave Harry and Hermione shaky smiles which they returned in turn. The four of them stood in the corridor, each glancing around uneasily. The silence stretched out tenuously with all of them wanting to say something but no one knowing either what to say or having the courage to speak. Natalie had expected Ron to call her for another chess match or ask for help with homework but he looked to be far too nervous for such a simple conversation.

Finally, Natalie, having enough of the extremely awkward pause, broke the silence. "Er, Ron, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," said Ron, rocking on his feet. He turned his head to Harry and Hermione, a determined glint in his eye. Natalie's heart almost leapt out of her chest as she realized he was finally ready to talk to them.

"Er, Ron, I can leave," said Natalie hesitantly.

Ron shot her a confused glance before his face quickly cleared in understanding. "Oh no Natalie," said Ron, fidgeting with his sleeve. "Please stay."

Hermione and Harry, who each bore looks of utter bewilderment, stared between the two of them. "Er, what's happening?" said Harry.

"Nothing," answered Natalie for Ron. She nodded towards Ron, indicating for him to talk to Harry and Hermione.

He returned his gaze to Harry and Hermione. His face absolutely pale and his hands trembling slightly, Ron cleared his throat. "Er, yes, you two," said Ron, gulping. He shook his head, trying to clear himself of the obvious nerves. "I've been acting like a git the past couple of weeks. I was angry with you two for keeping Natalie's identity secret and er, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

Both Harry and Hermione looked completely stunned before a brief moment before their faces broke out in genuine pleasure. Neither appeared to have expected Ron to choose this moment to reconcile with them.

"Ron, you had every right to be angry with us," said Hermione warmly as she stepped forward and gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Yeah, mate. I would be pissed if I was in your position," agreed Harry, also stepping forward.

Ron ran a hand through his air. "I still don't like what you guys did," said Ron quietly. "But I understand it and to be honest, I can't stand being angry with you guys for so long."

"Neither can we," said Hermione. Natalie had never seen such a jubilant and radiant expression on Hermione's face.

"You don't need to apologize to us, Ron," said Harry firmly.

"I do," croaked Ron, smiling weakly at Harry. "You two did the right thing but not telling me, uh, I won't pretend, it hurt."

The last two words lingered in the air. With those words, the familiar guilt surged through Natalie but the confession by Ron struck an air of finality as if the four of them had finally crossed an invisible threshold.

Hermione, whose eyes were welled with tears, pulled Ron into a tight hug. For once, Ron reciprocated the hug, burying his face in her hair. Harry pattted Ron on the back, a sad smile on his face.

"We're sorry, Ron," said Harry softly.

"It's in the past you two. I can't be angry at you for so long," said Ron, his voice cracking and his arms still wrapped around Hermione.

Recognizing that the two of them likely wanted a few moments alone, Natalie motioned to Harry for them to continue to the portrait. Harry nodded and the two of them resumed their walk to the Fat Lady. As she passed Ron, Natalie winked at him as if to say 'I told you so.' Ron merely grinned at her.

The next few days passed in a happy, satisfying bur. Ron brought a refreshing energy that Harry and Hermione desperately needed. The renewed spirit rejuvenated each one of them, bringing them all slightly closer together with the knowledge that they all shared information of such importance. Her identity known and accepted by all three, Natalie finally felt like a legitimate member of the group.

The four of them were sitting in a sunny corner of the courtyard after lunch the Wednesday of the following week. Hermione and Ron were both clutching a Ministry of Magic leaflet- _Common Apparition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them_- for they were taking their tests that afternoon. While Hermione appeared reasonably calm, Ron was visibly on edge.

"Does my whole body have to apparate?" grumbled Ron, flipping through the pamphlet.

"I reckon that's the point of the test mate," said Harry, resting his head against the tree.

Ron shot him a scathing glare. "I don't need the mocking comments, thank you."

Natalie laughed. "Ron, being nervous won't help you. Look at Hermione."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione's a professional at this. She can probably do that 3 D's thing in her sleep."

"No, I cannot," said Hermione, her eyes fixed on the leaflet. "You just have to concentrate Ron and you'll be fine."

"Oh, looks like we have a messenger," said Natalie pointedly, jerking her head towards a girl approaching them from around the corner.

Harry frowned. "Dumbledore said that we won't have any more lessons until I get Slughorn's memory."

The girl reached them, handing Harry a small scroll of parchment. As she walked away, Harry unrolled the parchment. Rather than finding Dumbledore's long, narrow, slanted writing, the parchment contained an untidy sprawl, very difficult to read due to the presence of large blotches on the parchment where the ink had run.

"Hagrid," said Harry in response to Natalie and Hermione's inquisitive glances. "It looks like Aragog died," said Harry sadly as he handed the note over to Hermione.

"And he wants us to come to the burial tonight," said Hermione in exasperation. "He does know that we're not allowed at night."

"What?" exclaimed Ron furiously, raising his eyes from the Ministry pamphlet. "That bloody thing tried to eat us. And now Hagrid expects us to go down there and cry over its horrible body."

"There's quite a bit of security too," added Natalie. "They've increased the number of Aurors patrolling the grounds."

"Hagrid really liked him though and it looks like he's been crying," said Harry quietly.

"Harry, we've risked a lot for Hagrid over the years but to get a detention for a burial just seems pointless," said Hermione.

"I'm not going anyway- I'm happy to see that thing dead," muttered Ron, causing Hermione to shoot him a disapproving glare. "Hermione, you didn't see him- he wasn't the nicest bloke around."

Harry sighed. "I know, Hermione. I suppose Hagrid'll have to bury Aragog for us."

Hermione looked quite relieved. "Getting back to Slughorn, when do you er plan to use the Felix Felicis? Potions will be almost empty this afternoon, with all of us doing our tests."

"You're using the Felix Felicis?" said Ron in confusion.

Natalie raised her hand to her forehead. "Oh yeah, of course, we forgot to tell you. Harry decided on two weeks ago to use the potion to get Slughorn's memory."

"Since we weren't talking to each other, you wouldn't have known," explained Hermione.

"Oh, that's actually bloody brilliant," exclaimed Ron delightedly. "Why didn't you think of it before?"

"Harry was saving it for Malfoy," answered Natalie, earning a rueful look from Harry.

Hermione shook her head at Harry. "Just get him out of-

"Alright, alright Hermione," said Harry wearily. "I get the point."

Before Hermione could impress upon Harry further, Natalie spoke. "When are you planning to use it Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Sometime in the next few days. I was going to use it straight after we decided but er with telling Ron and everything, I wasn't really in the mood."

"Well don't let me ruin your fun," said Ron, a grin appearing on his face.

"Just use it soon," insisted Hermione, staring at Harry.

"Why not this afternoon?" posed Natalie. "Like Hermione said, it's probably going to be just you, me, Malfoy and Ernie."

Harry shook his head. "I don't feel comfortable confronting Slughorn about his memory when others could overhear."

"He means Malfoy," said Hermione curtly.

"I do have a point, don't I?" retorted Harry.

Natalie sighed. "I suppose there is that risk though the luck should guard against something like that happening. Then why not tonight?"

"Yes, why not?" agreed Hermione.

"Stop nagging him, the two of you," said Ron, yawning. "And besides Hermione, we have to go soon for that ruddy test."

"Harry needs to stop procrastinating," snapped Hermione.

"Harry? Tonight?" pressed Natalie.

Harry rolled his eyes at both Hermione and Natalie. "Fine. I'll take it and try to get the memory from him _tonight_."

"Ah, Harry, you're giving him into them," moaned Ron.

"Oh, just keep quiet," said Natalie, waving him off dismissively.

Hermione smiled at Harry before she stood up. "That's decided then," said Hermione, performing a graceful pirouette."Destination… determination… deliberaton…." she murmured.

Ron groaned. "Oh stop that. I feel sick enough as it is."

"You should go before Lavender decides to give her 'Won-won' a good luck kiss," said Natalie scornfully.

"Yes, let's go," said Ron earnestly, immediately standing up. "Where is she anyway?" muttered Ron, looking anxiously around.

"She's not taking the test?" asked Harry.

"Not old enough," said Ron, still looking around for Lavender. "I hope she's too angry with me not to talk. She gave me this whole long story about how we should take everything together. Bloody annoying."

"Come on Ron," said Hermione, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Good luck!" said Natalie, smiling at the two of them.

"Yeah, mate, you'll be fine," said Harry confidently.

Both Hermione and Ron nodded at them before they walked off into the castle to head for their test in Hogsmeade.

Natalie slid closer to Harry, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Ah, we can enjoy some time alone," murmured Harry to her.

"Do alert me if one of your fangirls takes their wand out," said Natalie, closing her eyes as Harry placed an arm around her.

"Of course," replied Harry, kissing her forehead.

"How long do we have until Potions?"

"About another hour."

"Oh good," said Natalie, sighing in content as she snuggled up to Harry.

In potions that afternoon, as Natalie predicted, there were only four of them: her, Harry, Malfoy and Ernie. Slughorn, in his typical grandiose fashion, assigned them the competition of brewing 'something amusing' for him to inspect. Natalie elected to prepare a simple Calming draught, but added a small yet concentrated touch of belladonna to counteract the usual drowsiness resulting from the draught. Not to her surprise, Malfoy displayed little interest in the class, his face extremely sour. Harry, when he was not scrutinizing Malfoy out of the corner of his eyes, looked to be determinedly following instructions from the Prince's notes. Ernie, of the four, appeared to be the only taking Slughorn's competition seriously. Obviously, after seven months worth of Slughorn lavishing Harry, the righteous minded Hufflepuff was determined to outshine Harry

And an hour and a half later, Harry won the competition with a sunshine yellow potion designed to induce intense waves of euphoria in the drinker. Slughorn waved off Natalie's potion as a practical but not an entirely novel creation, Malfoy's Hiccuping brew as merely passable and Ernie's cuddled, purple dumping as a courageous attempt. Natalie almost snorted when Slughorn pondered excitedly where Harry's brilliant ideas originated. She winked at Harry, noticing him discreetly pushing the Prince's book deeper into his bag with his foot.

Despite Slughorn's approval, Harry could not corner him at the end of the class. As soon as Malfoy and Ernie left, Slughorn glanced over his shoulder at the two of them, hurrying out of the room as fast as he could.

"Congratulations! Stroke of genius that was," said Natalie mockingly as she cleaned her cauldron and returned all her supplies to her Potion set.

"I thought it would put him in a good mood," said Harry thoughtfully. "You know for tonight."

Natalie rolled her eyes at him. "The Felix will make sure he's in a good mood Harry."

"I hope so anyway."

Once both their bags were packed, they both exited the classroom. "He's certainly good at evading people," said Natalie.

"That's for certain. For somebody so big, he definitely knows how to disappear quickly," said Harry bitterly.

"Can you blame him though? He must know that whatever he's hiding is pretty important and so it must be second nature now for him to look over his shoulder," said Natalie pensively.

"I suppose so. It would be so much easier if he was just honest with Dumbledore in the first place," said Harry in frustration.

"Yes, I know. But pride is a very strong motivating factor," replied Natalie. "I suppose he doesn't want a lot of people knowing how Voldemort hoodwinked him so easily."

"And I imagine that convincing him to give me that memory will be quite the effort."

"But you'll have the Felix Harry," added Natalie. "I read a few books in the library about what it actually does. The way it works is that it somehow coordinates all your actions so that you arrive at exactly the outcome you want. From my reading, it will make sure you act so that you can have a private conversation with Slughorn, and then ensure that you say all the right things to persuade him to give you that memory."

Harry smiled at her. "You make it sound so easy."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Harry, it's liquid luck- it should be that easy."

Harry nodded. "It will certainly help. I just want to get that memory so Dumbledore can show me more."

Natalie returned his smile. "When do Ron and Hermione come back from their test?"

"About half an hour I reckon," said Harry, glancing at his watch. "By the way, did you see how tired Malfoy looks?"

"Harry," warned Natalie though Harry was correct. There was no air of smugness, excitement and superiority around Malfoy; he possessed none of the swagger that he vaunted earlier in the year and even in her last encounter with him when both of them had pulled their wands on one another.

"I don't think his mission is going that well," said Harry, unrestrained glee in his voice.

"Having Voldemort breathing down your neck will do that to a person," said Natalie.

"As you've said before," noted Harry.

"But you may be right though Harry," conceded Natalie. "He certainly looks quite exhausted."

"Yes!" exclaimed Harry, swinging his fist triumphantly in the air.

"But that does not mean that you should make it your life goal to stop whatever he's doing," said Natalie as firmly as he could.

"Yes, yes, I know, mother," said Harry snidely, earning a smack on the arm from Natalie.

"Let's just go the Common room and enjoy some time together," said Natalie, desire filling her stomach as she thought of cuddling against Harry in their customary armchair in front of the fireplace.

"It has been a rather good afternoon," commented Harry, his eyes sparkling. Natalie knew he was referring to their intense snogging session just before Potions in one of the unused classrooms in the dungeons.

"I was half expecting Snape to walk in on us at any moment," said Natalie, running a hand through her air.

"The risk does make it more enticing. Not that snogging you isn't always mind numbing amazing."

Natalie blushed. "Trust me, the feeling's reciprocated."

"Glad to know that I'm so skilled," said Harry airily.

"Arrogant git," muttered Natalie, seeing the far too pleased expression on her boyfriend's face.

Ron and Hermione returned later that afternoon.

"I passed!" cried Hermione, almost running through the portrait hole towards them.

Ron followed slowly behind her, a surly expression on his face.

"Well done!" said Natalie, beaming at Hermione. "How did Ron do?" asked Natalie in a quieter voice.

"He- he _just_ failed," whispered Hermione as she sat in the armchair directly in front of the fire. "It was really unlucky, a tiny thing, the examiner just spotted that he'd left half an eyebrow."

"Oh," said Natalie, looking sympathetically at Ron who dropped onto the settee besides her.

"Bad luck mate," said Harry. "You'll pass time- you can take it with Natalie and I."

Natalie patted his arm consolingly. "Loads of people don't pass on the first try."

"Yeah, I suppose," said Ron grumpily. "But _half an eyebrow_! How the bloody hell does that matter?"

"I know," said Hermione soothingly. "It does seem really harsh…"

They spent most of their dinner thoroughly abusing the Apparation examiner to the extent that Ron looked fractionally more cheerful by the time they set off back to the Common room.

Once they left the Great Hall, Hermione looked around before staring intently at Harry. "You are using the Felix, aren't you?"

"Yes Hermione," answered Harry. "I don't reckon I'll need all of it, not twenty-fours worth, it can't take all night…I'll just take a mouthful. Two or three hours should do it."

"It's a wonderful feeling you know. Like you're just soaring in the skies," said Ron fondly.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him. "You never took it?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders at her. "I thought I took it- there's not much of a difference, is there?"

"Yes there is," protested Natalie vehemently.

"I think what Ron meant to say is that the feelings of elation and exhilaration are the same in both instances," said Hermione, laughing.

"Thank you, my dear," said Ron, tipping his head to Hermione who only laughed louder.

Natalie shook her head at the two of them. "Don't defend him Hermione. He knows what he said."

Before Ron could reply, Harry motioned his head to Professor McGonagall who was heading towards them.

"Oh, that's probably for me," said Natalie excitedly.

"A letter from Kalissa," said Hermione knowingly.

"Hello Professor," said Ron jovially as McGonagall reached them.

"Weasley," acknowledged McGonagall stiffly. "You look awfully cheerful. I trust your apparition tests went so well?"

Ron suddenly started fidgeting with the sleeve of his jumper. "Um, well, Hermione passed but we all knew she would-

"And you?" asked McGonagall sharply as she gave Hermione a small smile.

Ron cringed. "I failed- though only by half an eyebrow."

A look of sympathy briefly flashed on McGonagall's face. "There is always next time."

She turned to Natalie. "Miss Malkae, I would like to see you in my office sometime soon. I have an _essay_ to return to you," said McGonagall, her eyes boring into Natalie's brown orbs.

"Of course Min- Professor," said Natalie, wincing as she realized her stumble.

McGonagall's lips pursed. "Very well. Please come as soon as possible. I do have some marking to do."

As McGonagall walked away, Ron sniggered. "Very discreet that was. If that's how the Order operates, no wonder they're not doing so well."

On the receiving end of indignant glares from the other three, Ron quickly receded. "They're not doing that bad, are they?"

"Not bad but not good from what Remus said," said Harry, frowning.

"I don't think that has anything with how discreet Minerva is with me," said Natalie, still glaring at Ron. "Anyway, I think I'll go now- she can get quite angry if you keep her waiting."

"I can imagine," agreed Ron, shuddering slightly.

Natalie rolled her eyes at him before she took hold of Harry's hands. "Listen Harry, please take the Felix tonight and don't worry about anything. You'll do fine-just let the potion carry you on its course." She gave Harry a small peck on the lips, smiling softly at him.

"I'll let you know how it goes when I come back," whispered Harry, his gaze swallowing her.

Natalie nodded to Ron and Hermione before she followed Minerva to her office. Reaching the office, Natalie was not surprised to see the Transfigurations professor sitting at her desk, her stern gaze fixated on a paper in front of her.

Upon hearing Natalie enter, Minerva lifted her head. "Ah, Natalie, thank you for being so prompt." She waved her wand, closing the door and with another swish, cast the appropriate silencing charm.

"A letter from Kalissa?" asked Natalie eagerly.

A genuine smile finally broke across Minerva's face. "What else would it be?"

She flicked her wand at her desk. A drawer quickly opened and a long scroll of parchment floated into Natalie's hands. "Another essay," noted Natalie amusedly.

"Yes indeed," said Minerva. "One would think that the last time she saw you was 2 years ago instead of a fortnight ago."

"Have you seen her since then?" asked Natalie, looking hopefully at Minerva.

"Yes, I have," said Minerva. "She is doing well- much better than before your meeting two weeks."

"Good," said Natalie in relief. "I was worried about her."

"As was I," stated Minerva, a soft expression on her face. "She puts too much pressure on herself I think."

"Will I able to see her before the end of term?" asked Natalie.

Minerva sighed. "You may but in all likelihood, the next time you will see her should be in the summer. Bringing her to the Hog's head involves, shall we say, very elaborate planning and magic to make sure neither the Aurors nor any other suspicious characters notice."

"Nobody's noticed, have they?" said Natalie fearfully, remembering the attack on Christmas.

"As far as Albus knows, no. We have been very careful but as you may have surmised from the Prophet, You know who has spies everywhere."

"They've practically infiltrated the Ministry," said Natalie disdainfully.

"There has been too much information leaked," conceded Minerva. "Not as much as last time but still, it's very troubling."

"We'll get through this and fight them back," said Natalie determinedly.

Minerva raised her eyebrows at her. "Not 'we'. If Kalissa or I for that matter have anything to say about it, you'll be right here at Hogwarts for the next two years."

Natalie laughed. "Not that I'd mind- Hogwarts has been pretty nice."

"I would have expected to use a much stronger superlative. Kalissa is absolutely thrilled with how you've managed here," said Minerva, the adoration and pride in her voice evident.

Natalie nodded at Minerva. "So I suppose you do have quite a bit of marking."

"First years," said Minerva frustration. "Marking those essays seems to take inordinate amounts of time."

"Thanks for the letter," said Natalie, smiling at her. "I'll see you tomorrow in Transfiguration."

Minerva nodded as Natalie turned around to leave the office. "Do make sure to tell Weasley to stop staring at Miss Granger during the class- his attention and performance is waning."

Natalie chortled, her back to Minerva. "Oh Minerva, how I love your humour." She opened the door, leaving the office with a bounce in her step. She quickly moved to the Fat Lady, using as many of the secret passageways and turns as she could, intent on finding out how the potion had affected Harry.

Once she mumbled the password to the Fat Lady and climbed through the portrait, Natalie was greeted by an entirely unexpected scene. Lavender stood in the middle of the common room, her arms against her hips, looking absolutely irate. Ron was leaning against one of the armchairs at the back of the common room, receding under Lavender's searing glaze. Most of Gryffindor house was in the common room with all eyes fixed on Lavender and Ron. As quietly as she could, Natalie made her way to Hermione who was nervously watching the encounter a few feet away from Ron.

"What happened?" whispered Natalie curiously as she stepped besides Hermione. A few heads had turned to them including Lavender.

"Looks like your sidekick has come to defend you, Granger," spat Lavender, taking a step towards Natalie and Hermione.

"I have no idea why you're so angry," said Natalie coolly, staring directly at Lavender.

Lavender laughed obnoxiously. "Of course you have no idea! How would you know that she was shagging _my boyfriend_ behind my back?"

Natalie almost laughed at the absurdity of the statement. "Now, you're the one who's making more sense, Lavender," snapped Natalie, her temper flaring at the disgusted looks Lavender was shooting Hermione. "They have done no such thing- do you really think Hermione is the type of person to do something like that?"

"Honestly, Lavender, nothing's happened between us," said Hermione firmly, also meeting Lavender's gaze. However, by the slight trembling in her fingers, Natalie could tell that these accusations were affecting her.

"Then how do you expect the fact that I caught the two of you coming back from Ron's dormitory without either Harry or Natalie?" snarled Lavender. Her comment was accompanied by a few, very shocked gasps. "From his dormitory!"

This time, Natalie did laugh. "Lavender, how paranoid can you get? Hermione's been to that dormitory loads of times."

"Yes she has," said Ron earnestly, speaking for once. When Lavender's vicious gaze returned to him, he took a step back, spluttering.

Lavender's face, if possible, became even more livid. "Don't bullshit me Natalie. You know as well I do that Hermione's been after Ron ever since he started going out with me."

"You really do think quite highly of yourself, don't you?" stated Natalie disgustedly.

"Oh so now, this is suddenly my fault?" exclaimed Lavender dramatically. "Your friend is just a nasty, jealous and pathetic, little harlot."

Natalie immediately reached for her wand, but she was held back by Hermione. "She doesn't mean the things she's saying," whispered Hermione, her eyes slightly wet. "She's not worth a detention."

"Lavender, stop it now. Don't you dare call Hermione that," said Ron, an unusual coldness to his voice as he finally moved towards Lavender so that they were only a few feet apart.

"Why? It's true, isn't it?" asked Lavender shrilly, looking around the common room for support. Nobody else agreed with Lavender, not even Parvati who looked to be conspicuously hidden. All saw the raging fury on Natalie's face and the iciness in Ron's eyes.

The lack of encouragement seemed to fuel Lavender further. "She'd rather sleep with a book than a boy and you can't tell me there's anything nice about her appearance! That _hair_ and remember those teeth she had before fourth year. And the clothes she wears, even my grand-

"Lavender, shut the hell up," said Ron with that brutal iciness. "I happen to find her absolutely brilliant and I love her for all those things. You need to learn that a bloke doesn't like a girl just for great curves and a good snog."

"I did so much for you this year and this is how you treat me!" cried Lavender, on the verge of tears.

"If you talk to my friends like that, then I don't want to be with you," stated Ron as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.

Lavender's hand came hurtling at Ron's face. The sharp, punctuated click of the smack reverberated across the common room as everyone stared in astonishment.

"Ronald Weasley!, YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE AND UTTER ARSE! GET THE BLOODY HELL AWAY FROM ME," screamed Lavender, her voice reaching octaves Natalie did not know existed. She stomped on her foot before running up the staircase to the girls dormitory, tears cascading along her face. Parvati quickly emerged from a corner of the common room and rushed up the girls' staircase to comfort her friend.

Ron moved to Hermione in a few, easy strides, casting his arm protectively around the shaken girl. "Hermione, I'm so sorry," whispered Ron, a powerfully warm, loving caress attached to his voice. "None of those things she said are true at all."

Hermione nodded weakly, smiling at Ron, letting herself slide into his grip. "I know," replied Hermione so that only Ron and Natalie could hear. "Thank you, Ron. What you did was incredibly brave."

Natalie cleared her throat, causing the two of them to both jerk their heads from each other to her. "Um, you two," said Natalie in a hushed voice, letting her eyes flicker over the rest of the common who were now watching Ron and Hermione. "You know, er, we or at least you two should go somewhere more private."

The other two seemed to realize at once that they were still in the middle of the Gryffindor common room. Though the expressions on the faces of most suggested shock and amazement at what happened, a few of the 4th and 5th year girls, who were closer to Lavender than Hermione, bore very affronted, grievous looks.

"Yes," said Hermione uneasily. "I think we should. Outside?"

"My dormitory," said Ron confidently. "So who cares what they think? Nobody except Dean and Seamus will come up there."

Natalie, staring skeptically at Ron, nodded. "Fine. I'll stay here to give-

"No," said Ron, interrupting Natalie. "You're coming up with us. We need to tell you about Harry."

"Yes," said Hermione, an unusually devious grin coming across her face. "And plus, if you come up, they'll know Ron and I aren't shagging right after he broke up with Lavender."

Natalie blinked in astonishment at Hermione's statement before breaking out in laughter. Ron, who seemed equally as surprised as Natalie, gave a crooked grin. "I'm definitely going to keep this memory bottled up," said Natalie pointedly. " Anyway, let's go- I don't think my laughing has put me in any good graces with some of those girls."

Hermione and Ron, with his arm still slung over her shoulders, walked to the boy's staircase, proceeding to climb the stairs to the 6th year boys' dormitory. Natalie followed them, making sure to return some of the threatening glares sent in their direction.

"You two definitely did give everybody a week's worth of gossip," commented Natalie acidly once they were out of earshot of everyone else.

They entered the dormitory. Natalie sat on Harry's bed while Ron and Hermione both dropped onto Ron's bed. "I have to applaud you Ron, though," said Natalie, winking at him. "For someone who's been trying to avoid Lavender for most of the past two months, confronting her like that was pretty impressive."

Ron's face flushed. "I didn't like what she said about Hermione. Maybe it was a bit harsh, but breaking up with her was going to be ugly either way."

"What she said was horrible," said Natalie savagely. "I was ready to try out a few of the Prince's curses on her."

"And get a week's worth of detention?" asked Hermione, looking at Natalie in amusement. "The way Ron acted was the best way to handle the situation." Focusing her eyes upon Ron and placing her hand on his hand, she smiled at him, her face positively glowering with admiration.

"Still, it would have been nice to try 'Levicorpus' on Lavender," pondered Natalie dreamily, pretending not to notice the two intertwined hands.

"You really do have a fast wand, don't you?" asked Ron.

"With who my mother is, would you expect anything less?" responded Natalie, shocking herself as well as Ron and Hermione that she could joke so easily about her identity.

Ron laughed while Hermione merely smiled.

"Anyway, how did it go with Harry?" asked Natalie, remembering the main reason she wanted to speak to Ron and Hermione.

"Well, he took the potion," said Hermione, frowning. "And as soon as he drank it, he was instantaneously on a high-like how Ron described the feeling before."

Natalie ignored the knowing smirk Ron was giving her. "That's to be expected though," stated Natalie.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, that wasn't too surprising, but then he decided to attend Hagrid's burial."

"What?" exclaimed Natalie.

"Yes, I know," agreed Hermione. "How would he meet Slughorn if he's at Hagrid's hut?"

Natalie considered Hermione's question, hoping that Harry had not used the Felix for nothing. "I read that as long as he has the specific outcome in mind, the Felix will direct him so that he achieves that outcome."

"Harry knew he was taking the Felix to get Slughorn's memory," said Ron reasonably.

"Yes," said Natalie. "Maybe then, that impulse to see Hagrid was directed by the Felix?"

"That's what I thought too," said Hermione. "The way he suddenly decided to go visit Hagrid was far too impulsive, even for Harry."

"We'll see in a couple of hours if the Felix was useful. Hopefully, Harry made sure that confronting Slughorn was his highest priority," said Natalie, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

The door abruptly slammed open, causing all three of them to swiftly turn around and raise their wands. Upon realizing the cause of the disturbance, all three dropped their wands in bemused relief. Dean Thomas stood in the doorway, his hands raised defensively across his head.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Dean harshly, motioning his head to Natalie and Hermione.

"Uh, yeah mate," stammered Ron. "Well, Lavender and I broke up so we wanted to get away from all the commotion in the common room."

"Oh," said Dean, understanding spreading across his face. "We heard some screaming inside the common room-sounded quite a bit like Lavender."

"We?" asked Natalie curiously.

Dean's face darkened. "Ginny and I."

"Where were the two of you anyway?" asked Ron suspiciously.

Dean walked across the room, furiously opened the hangings and collapsed on the bed. "We broke up," said Dean, viciously kicking off his shoes.

"Oh," said Ron, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Uh, well, er I'm sorry mate."

Dean laughed ruefully. "Don't be. She's been biting my head off for weeks."

Ron's face reddened. "Now, listen, here, she's my sister-

"Ron," interrupted Hermione, placing an arm on his shoulder. "Dean's right- the two of you seemed a bit rocky for the past week or so," said Hermione cautiously, looking over to Dean's bed.

"Yeah, we have," said Dean quietly, positioning himself so that he was facing the three of them with his back to the wall. "I didn't mean to say that about your sister, Ron. We've just been not as close you know like you and Lavender."

The heated look on Ron's face quickly dissipated. "Well, it happens," said Ron. His tone suggested a much greater depth of experience than he actually had.

"It certainly has been a bad night for romance," noted Natalie.

"You'd better watch out for you and Harry," said Ron, winking at her.

"I knew that was coming," muttered Natalie, causing Dean to laugh.

However, she noticed Dean looking at her with a contemplative expression on his face.

"Er, Dean, everything alright?" asked Natalie, shifting under his gaze.

Dean blinked as he shook his head, lifting himself out of his reverie. "Sorry about that Natalie- I was thinking about something," said Dean sheepishly.

"May we ask?" said Hermione.

"Ask what?" said Dean confusedly.

"About what you were thinking about?" finished Natalie, smiling at Dean.

"Er, you two, there's some things that blokes really wouldn't discuss with girls," said Ron, a red tinge returning to his ears.

"No, it's not _that_," said Dean, frantically shaking his head. "That's not even remotely close- no offense Natalie but I wasn't looking at you that way."

Natalie snorted. "Honestly, Ron, get your mind out of the gutters."

"I was just thinking about Ginny," said Dean, his gaze averted from the three of them.

"We're sorry Dean-it must be very difficult for both of you," said Hermione sympathetically as Natalie smiled. Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but managed to remain silent.

"There'll be others I suppose," replied Dean, a sigh on his face. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Are you two staying here?" He looked towards Natalie and Hermione.

Hermione blushed. "No, we couldn't do that. We'll just wait till Lavender and Parvati go to sleep."

"If we go in there with Lavender still pissed, I'd imagine there'd be some serious injuries," commented Natalie, a smirk on her face.

Dean nodded, yawning. "Best to stay away from her. Good night. If you don't want me to hear anything, just use a Silencing charm- especially since it seems Harry is _absent_ tonight."

He closed the hangings on his bed as shock blanketed the other three faces. Natalie obliged with Dean's request, waving her wand to cast a Silencing charm around his bed so that he could not hear them talk.

"Well," spluttered Natalie. "That was certainly interesting."

"Bloody awkward if you ask me," said Ron groggily.

"It was unexpected," said Hermione in bewilderment.

"What time is it anyway?" asked Natalie, trying to change the subject.

Hermione looked at her watch. "It is a bit early to sleep."

"What time do you reckon Harry will be back?" asked Ron.

"If he is able to get the memory, then I suppose he'll probably go to Dumbledore' office- I mean it is Harry- so it will be a late night," answered Natalie.

"He has the Felix so he shouldn't get caught by a teacher," noted Ron thoughtfully.

Natalie nodded. "That's my logic- if the Felix can help him acquire the memory, then surely, it will guide him to Dumbledore's office safely."

"And plus it's just Harry's naturally impulsive behavior to go to Dumbledore's office," added Natalie, a rueful smile on her face.

Ron laughed. "I think I'm going to tell him you said that."

"It is true, Ron," said Hermione, smiling at Natalie. "Harry does have a tendency to er improvise."

"Anyway, he can tell us tomorrow morning," concluded Natalie. "And since he hasn't come back yet, I'm taking it as a sign that he indeed did get the memory even though it seems almost impossible that he would meet Slughorn at Aragog's burial."

The other two nodded. "I'll just be happy to finally find out what the bloody hell Horcruxes are," muttered Ron wistfully.

Natalie noticed with a slight startle that the two of them were very close on his bed. If Seamus or Neville entered the room, it would not be too much of a stretch for either to form an inappropriate conclusion.

"Fancy a game of chess, Natalie?" asked Ron, an eager look on his face that jerked Natalie from her brief musings.

"Yeah, why not? We have some time," said Natalie. "I might as well beat you."

"As if you can," scoffed Ron.

"We're tied 12-12, you arrogant twit."

"You've played 24 chess matches?" exclaimed Hermione.

"All in the last two weeks," said Ron.

"Let's get to it then," stated Natalie, grinning smugly at him. "I'm starting to see your weaknesses."

Hermione laughed. "I think I'm going to get ahead on some reading- Ron, do you have your Transfigurations textbook?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "You're already ahead Hermione. Let's just play our chess match- Ron, ready?"

**A/N: How did you like the chapter? **


	30. School Rivals

Chapter 30-School Rivals

**A/N: Thanks very much to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! I will reply to those reviews- all the support is very much appreciated.**

**Thanks very much to my sister for relentlessly editing this chapter and the next chapter!**

**The next two chapters should be a change from the previous chapters in terms of what we see and the action. I hope you enjoy!**

During the next morning Charms' lesson, Harry relayed his entire evening to them. He did extract the memory from Slughorn; all of them were extremely impressed by the way he had appealed to Slughorn's greed and sentimental feelings about Lily. And as they had predicted, he went straight to Dumbledore. When he finally revealed what the Horcruxes were, a wave of nauseating disgust surged through Natalie. She could not understand why someone would be willing to cut up their soul, even if this splitting achieved immortality. And judging by the aghast expressions on Ron and Hermione's feelings, both shared her sentiments. However, when Harry told them about Dumbledore's promise to take Harry along to destroy the remaining Horcurxes, Natalie could not feel happier for Harry. She knew how Harry longed for Dumbledore to stop treating him like a child that needed protection. The promise to let Harry accompany him at the very least suggested that the Headmaster started to see Harry as more of an equal.

"Wow," said Ron, when Harry finally finished telling them about the Horcruxes. Ron was waving his wand vaguely in the direction of the ceiling without paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was doing. "Wow. You're actually going to go with Dumbledore… and try and destroy… wow."

"It's really great, Harry," said Natalie earnestly. Harry squeezed her hand, a glowing expression on his face.

"Ron, you're making it snow," said Hermione patiently, grabbing his wrist and redirecting his wand away from the ceiling from which, sure enough, large white flakes had started to fall. Lavender Brown glared at Hermione from a neighbouring table through very red eyes and Hermione immediately let go of Ron's arm.

"Oh yeah," said Ron, looking down at his shoulders in vague surprise. "Sorry… looks like we've got all horrible dandruff now…" He brushed some of the fake snow off Hermione's shoulder. Lavender burst into tears. Ron looked very guilty and turned his back on her.

"We split up," he said to Harry out of the corner of his mouth. "Last night. When she saw me coming out of the dormitory with Hermione. Obviously, she couldn't see you and Natalie was with McGonagall, so she thought it had just been the two of us."

"Ah," said Harry, "well – you don't mind it's over, do you?"

"No," Ron admitted. "But it wasn't, er, the smoothest of break-ups."

"A lot of shrieking and yelling, if I remember correctly," said Natalie amusedly.

"Well, you had a part to play as well," said Ron, staring bemusedly at Natalie. A smile threatened to tug at the corner of his lips.

"Ron was pretty brave," said Hermione in admiration. "He stood up to her even though she was, I have to say, quite frightening."

Harry grinned, exchanging a knowing glance with Natalie. They both knew that Hermione was more than delighted to see that relationship finished.

Ron shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment. "She said some very bad things about Hermione and you know, I couldn't stand there and let her insult Hermione."

Harry nodded, smiling at Hermione. "What did you do?" asked Harry curiously, turning to Natalie.

"Oh, I had my usual words for Lavender," reminisced Natalie. "Though I still really would have liked to try 'Levicorpus' on her. Can you imagine her screaming when she's upside down?"

Harry's body shook with laughter. "You do realize that you sleep in the same room as the girl?"

"Yes, we do," said Hermione in resignation. She gazed sternly at Natalie. "That's why we shouldn't anger her further."

"I think she's pretty buggered if you ask me," said Natalie, looking over to Lavender who was now being consoled by Parvati.

"I agree with Hermione," said Harry, still chuckling.

"So, getting back to Horcruxes before Flitwick comes here – there's Nagini, the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup," said Natalie, counting on her fingers, "and something of Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."

"Oh, that reminds me," began Harry, apparently remembering something. He cast an excited glance towards Natalie. "About the Horcrux that may be Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, Dumbledore believes Kalissa may know what object Voldemort used."

"Really?" said Natalie, her stomach bubbling in excitement. She had wanted to ask Harry whether Dumbledore had explained to him how Kalissa found out about the Horcruxes.

Harry grinned at her. "Yeah and she wants to show us the memories."

"Us?" asked Hermione.

"Yes," said Harry, turning his head to the left to grin at Ron and Hermione. "According to Dumbledore, she insisted that all of us see those memories."

"Great," breathed Ron, his eyes widening.

"She's coming to the castle then?" asked Natalie hopefully.

"Sometime soon," said Harry. "Dumbledore will tell us beforehand and we can go to the office to see her. I think you might be able to stay the night at the Hog's Head with her, but I'm not sure."

"We'll finally get to meet her," exclaimed Hermione.

"I know," said Harry happily. "Pretty nice and Dumbledore said the memories are very interesting, even for him."

"Oi, here comes Flitwick," said Ron in a warning tone. "Looks like Hermione's the only one to change her thing."

The tiny little Charms professor was bobbling his way towards them. Ron was correct. Hermione was the only one who had managed to turn vinegar into wine; her glass flask was full of deep crimson liquid.

"Now, now, a little less talk, little more action, " squeaked Professor Flitwick reproachfully. "I see Miss Granger is successful as usual. Let me see the three of you try."

Natalie raised her wand, focusing on the proper incantation and visualizing the transformation. She felt the magic course through her arm and wand as the vinegar turned into wine.

"Very well done Miss Malkae," said Professor Flitwick, pleased. "Now, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley…"

Both Harry and Ron pointed their wands at their flasks, concentrating with all their might. Harry's vinegar turned to ice; Ron's flask exploded.

"Yes…for homework," said Professor Flitwick, reemerging from under the table and pulling shards of glass out of the top of his hat, "_practice._"

Natalie spent most of the next two days, anxiously wondering when they would see Kalissa. She really wanted Kalissa to see her friends, but also was very curious about these memories about the seventh horcux. At lunch on Saturday afternoon, a blonde haired first year girl gave Harry a note with the familiar long, slanted handwriting.

"Dumbledore?" said Natalie eagerly.

"Yes," said Harry delightedly. "Tonight at 7'o clock. McGonagall will take us – we are apparently to see her for 'detention.'"

"Minerva must be coming too," mused Natalie, very happy that she would be seeing Kalissa in only a few hours.

"I think so," agreed Harry.

"What do you reckon are in those memories?" asked Ron through a mouthful of mash.

Natalie gagged at him. "It could be anything, but my guess is the memories encounters with Voldemort when they were in school together or perhaps later on – she did fight with him a few times, if I remember correctly."

"He wouldn't gloat to her about Horcruxes, would he?" posed Hermione, biting her lip thoughtfully.

Harry shook his head. "No, even though he's a maniac, he's very careful."

"We'll see anyhow. And you three finally get to meet her," said Natalie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at them all.

"Harry, not nervous mate? You're meeting your girlfriend's mother," said Ron, a dubious grin on his face.

"Of course not," said Harry, clapping Ron on the back, causing the redhead to choke while he was drinking his pumpkin juice. "I might be a little edgy, but if she's anything like Natalie says she is, I don't need to worry."

"She is a legend in Arithmancy circles," said Hermione, her eyes glistening in admiration.

"And among the Order too," added Harry. "You should hear Remus go on about her – I almost wonder if he's in love with her."

Natalie and Hermione shared an amused glance. They both knew the target of Remus' romantic aspirations.

While Harry and Ron had Quidditch practice for most of the afternoon, Hermione and Natalie elected to go to the library and finish most of their homework for the weekend, knowing they would not be able to do any work this evening. At 7'o clock, the four of them headed to Minerva's office. Harry brought his invisibility cloak, stuffed into one of his pockets.

Once they reached the door, it opened immediately to reveal Minerva in her familiar position, sitting behind her desk. She was marking a stack of essays.

"Come in, you four," urged Minerva as the door closed behind them. With one wave of her wand, the stack of essays on her desk glided into a nearby drawer that sealed itself. She stood up, walking to the four of them.

"Potter, did you bring your invisibility cloak?" asked Minerva briskly.

Harry nodded, pulling out the cloak. "Cover yourself and Natalie with the cloak," ordered Minerva.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at the mention of her first name; in front of other students, Minerva always referred to her as 'Miss Malkae.' Minerva gave Natalie a small shake of the head to indicate that they would talk later.

Harry pulled Natalie towards him so that they were pressed snugly against each other before he wrapped the cloak around them.

"Now Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, I will be casting a Disillusionment charm on each of you. Please remain still while I cast the spell," explained Minerva.

Ron and Hermione stood motionless as Minerva swished her wand in a complicated circular motion around each of them. After a few seconds, both of them were almost invisible; if Natalie looked close enough at the right spots, she could barely make out the outlines of their bodies.

"Very well," said Minerva. "Now, you know that I will be accompanying the four of you to the Headmaster's office."

"You'll be staying, won't you?" blurted Natalie.

Minerva looked in the general direction of Harry and her. "Yes I will, Natalie. Now let's go. You know how impatient Kalissa can be."

The five of them quickly walked to Dumbledore 's office with Minerva leading the way. They went through several of the hidden passageways and arrived at the gargoyle statue within a few minutes. Minerva muttered the password 'toffee eclairs' to the statue which leapt aside, permitting their entrance one by one onto the spiral staircase.

"Enter," said Dumbledore when Minerva knocked. He sounded quite spirited.

When they entered the office, Natalie heard Hermione gasp beside her. She too looked around, noticing it had not changed at all. Most of the instruments and devices were in their original positions, clearly untouched. However, unlike in the summer, all of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses in their portraits were alert and wide eyed, staring at Minerva. Natalie saw Kalissa sitting in a chair next to Dumbledore's desk. In a rush of excitement, Natalie ripped off the cloak from her and Harry before hurtling herself at Kalissa.

Kalissa caught her in surprise, hugging her tightly. As she pulled back, she looked at Natalie, a beaming smile on her face. "How are you doing, my dear?"

"Much better," replied Natalie breathlessly. Seeing Kalissa made her feel like a little child.

"I must say I was surprised at your enthusiasm – it's only been two weeks," remarked Kalissa in amusement.

"Oh, well, anytime I get to see you, it's hard to control myself," mumbled Natalie sheepishly, also a bit shocked at her own reaction. She supposed her elation at Kalissa finally meeting her friends had spilled over into the very ecstatic greeting.

As Natalie stepped out of Kalissa's view, she smiled at Professor Dumbledore. "Nice to see you Professor."

"It's always a pleasure, Natalie. I've been missing your presence in this office – you were quite a frequent visitor in the summer," said Dumbledore, the familiar twinkle in his eyes.

She turned her head to see Kalissa first give Minerva a tight hug before turning to the other three. The Disillusionment charms on Ron and Hermione had been reversed.

"This must be Hermione, then. Very bright girl from what I've heard," said Kalissa, pulling a pleased and embarrassed looking Hermione into an one arm hug.

"Very nice to meet you," said Hermione, a reverential edge to her voice.

"And Ronald Weasley, I suppose?" asked Kalissa, now gazing warmly at a very nervous Ron. "I've heard from both Albus and Natalie that you're an excellent chess player."

"Thanks," mumbled Ron, his face also red. Surprisingly Kalissa also hugged him.

"Don't worry Ron. Kalissa _loves_ to hug," noted Natalie, smiling at Ron's obvious discomfort.

At last, Kalissa looked to Harry. "And who must this be?" said Kalissa, wagging her eyebrows dramatically at Harry. "The boy who's going out with my dear Natalie?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Harry as Kalissa pulled him into a fervent hug that Harry hesitantly returned.

As she pulled back, with her hands on his shoulders, Kalissa shook her head in amazement. "My goodness, you truly do have –"

"Lily's eyes," finished Harry, grinning at her.

"Yes," said Kalissa, her face glowing. "Both your parents were remarkable people."

She turned away from Harry to look at Professor Dumbledore. "Everyone is here, Albus. Why don't we start?"

"Yes, we should," said Dumbledore earnestly. "Though Miss Granger, you seem to be very taken by my office."

Hermione indeed looked to be completely mesmerized by the office around her. Natalie remembered her wonder at the welcoming, yet immensely powerful magic aura all of the objects in the office collectively conveyed. She noticed with some amusement that many of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses did not look too pleased at Hermione's unabashed stares in their direction.

Suddenly remembering another distinguishing feature of the office, Natalie swiveled her head towards the perch of Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, located behind the door to office. However, to her dismay and also Harry, who turned his head with her, a pile of ashes lay on the perch. The phoenix would grow into its golden, vibrant form in a few days.

"First time in the office?" said Kalissa to Hermione, smiling in understanding.

Ron nudged Hermione, jerking her from her shocked daze. She shook her head, her cheeks pink. "Sorry about that Professor. Yes, I've never been here before."

Harry frowned at her. "But Ron has, haven't you?"

Ron nodded. "That was in second year though – she was petrified then."

"Oh yes," said Harry.

"I have to admit that I'm rather surprised that you've never been here before," commented Dumbledore in amusement.

"It is quite an amazing sight. Dippet's office was an absolute dreary place in comparison," said Kalissa.

"Are the memories in there?" asked Harry, motioning his head to a shallow stone basin etched with Rune markings around its rim that sat on Dumbledore's desk.

"No," replied Kalissa. "They're still in my head, but I will take them out right now. We need as much time as possible to see those two memories."

She tapped her wand against her forehead. A silvery substance flowed out of her head and attached as a strand to her wand. Kalissa used her wand to place the strand in the pensieve.

"So you know about the Horcruxes?" asked Natalie, looking at Minerva. She decided to voice her earlier question before they looked at the memories.

"I told her about everything the last time we met and when I arrived here, about an hour ago," answered Kalissa.

"Yes," said Minerva, shuddering. "I knew what a Horcrux was, but the thought of one person making seven of them for himself is quite horrifying to say the least."

"It is, sadly, how Tom's mind operates," remarked Dumbledore.

"Yes, it is Albus, but we should see the memories – all of you, come to the pensieve," said Kalissa urgently. They all huddled around Dumbledore's desk. "This first memory is about an encounter I had with Tom Riddle when we were both in Seventh year. The ghost he's talking to is the Grey Lady, formerly known as Helena Ravenclaw."

"Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter?" gasped Hermione in amazement.

"Yes," said Kalissa, smiling at her. "And it will tell us something about what object Tom wanted to make his Horcrux. To enter the memory, just bend forward and let your face sink into the fluid. When it is time for us to leave the memory, I want the four students to grab onto one of the three adults. Natalie, I will take you. Harry and Ron – you two can go with Albus and Hermione, you'll be with Minerva."

One by one, they plunged their faces into the silvery fluid. Each person before Natalie appeared to have their whole bodies sucked into the basin. When Natalie dipped her head into the fluid, she felt her feet leave the office floor; she was falling through swirling darkness and then quite suddenly, she found herself in a dimly lit room that she vaguely recognized as Professor Flitwick's office.

Shelves of books lined both walls, leading to the desk. A refreshing, vibrant blue scattered with twinkling stars spread over each wall. A grand portrait of Hogwarts under a clear twinkling sky adorned the back wall. If one looked closely enough, the slightly larger and disproportionate size of the Ravenclaw tower could be discerned in relation to the rest of the castle as well as the subtle way in which the moon's penetrating beam only draped the tower, leaving the Gryffindor tower conspicuously dark. The office had not changed at all in 50 years; the only difference was a rug at the entrance bearing the Eagle emblem of the house. Opposite them, a much younger Professor Flitwick with light brown hair and no wrinkles sat in an elevated chair behind an expansive, mahogany desk. Papers and books were littered all over the desk in the untidy, eccentric style that Natalie had come to identify with the professor. In the chair facing him, Natalie could make out the back of a teenage Kalissa.

Looking around her, she noticed that everyone had entered the memory. Kalissa motioned for all of them to watch her younger self.

"_Is that all Miss Malkae?" _asked Professor Flitwick in an extremely squeaky voice.

"Some things never change, do they?" whispered Harry in her ear from her other side.

"I don't think your voice changes with age anyway," whispered Natalie, smiling.

The young Kalissa lifted herself from her seat. _"Yes, sir. Thank you for all your help. I really do appreciate your help with the charm – before, I really could not visualize exactly what physical transformation the charm entailed."_ Kalissa's voice, even as an 18 year old seventh year, held that playful, lighthearted melody that underlined the rich, rejuvenating ebullience of her nature.

"_I do believe that might be the only charm I've seen you unable to visualize exactly the way it was intended,"_ said Professor Flitwick, an amused smile on his face.

"_Yes, well, it was frustrating, but thank you. I'll leave you to your marking then,"_ said Kalissa, turning her back so that they now faced her.

Natalie's eyes widened as she took in Kalissa's appearance. Having seen pictures of her as a teenager, Natalie still could not help but gawk at the sheer beauty of the girl in front of her. The long, black hair flowed seamlessly down her back as it did with the present Kalissa, but her round face contained a polished smoothness that age had eroded. Her body had matured and filled out so that while her features were not noticeably voluptuous and exposed, her curves fitted nicely into the Hogwarts uniform so that no unusual bulges or disproportions could be seen. But what captivated Natalie remained the glowing expression on her face. Her brown eyes were alight with an intensity and passion that still uplifted Natalie. Her smile, though a small, subtle curving of the lips, worked with her eyes to emanate an indomitable exuberance, as if only a terrible, destructive force of nature could extinguish that glow.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Natalie detected Ron staring at Kalissa with a far too eager look on his face. She elbowed him from his daze. "Stop ogling her," muttered Natalie.

"I wasn't," mumbled Ron defensively though his ears turned red.

"She is very attractive though," whispered Harry from her other side.

"Just look at the older version and realize what you're saying," countered Natalie. "But I agree with you."

As the younger Kalissa nodded to Professor Flitwick and exited the office, Kalissa, with a wistful expression in her eyes, jerked her head for them to follow her teenage self. They walked behind the 18 year old Kalissa who took the familiar path back to Gryffindor Tower. However, at one of the turns, Kalissa immediately stopped, leaning her back against the stone wall. Her eyes were now alert and very interested.

Once they caught up with Kalissa , Natalie realized the source of her attention.

The sound of a boy's voice drifted over to them_. "…You are Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter? That's absolutely wonderful."_ Seeing the way Harry's head perked upward, Natalie at once realized who the boy was: Tom Riddle.

"_Yes,"_ said a young girl's voice, haughty, but slightly sad. "_We did not have the best of relationships."_ Natalie exchanged an awed glance with Hermione. The girl must have been the Grey Lady or Helena Ravenclaw.

"_Well, many mother-daughter relationships aren't the smoothest – I'm sure she still cared deeply for you,"_ said Riddle. From the apparently genuine compassion and kindness lacing his voice, Natalie never would have predicted that this boy was on the brink of becoming a maniacal murderer with no idea of the concept of love.

"_Yes, she did,"_ said the Grey Lady softly, her voice saturated with regret. _"I was just so horribly jealous of her."_

"_She was a remarkable woman and anyone who was her daughter, would not have enjoyed living in that shadow,"_ commented Riddle in that flattering, sincere tone.

"_I suppose you're right,"_ said the Grey Lady, sounding slightly satisfied. Natalie could sense that Riddle had managed to gain the trust of the ghost_. "I so desperately sought to prove that I was cleverer than she was – you see, there was an object she treasured with all her heart."_

"_The diadem?"_ asked Riddle cautiously.

"_Yes,"_ answered the Grey Lady. _"So many have asked me for it but the diadem was her most prized possession."_

Natalie exchanged another significant glance with Hermione, both of their eyes widening in realization. According to legend, Rowenan Ravenclaw possessed a diadem with a vast assortment of magical powers, but most sources that Natalie had read, including _Hogwarts A History_, vehemently denied the existence of this diadem, given the complete lack of tangible evidence.

"_And what happened to the diadem?"_ asked Riddle curiously.

The Grey Lady laughed bitterly. _"I stole it from her and ran away."_

Natalie's earlier suspicions were confirmed as having deemed Riddle trustworthy, the Grey Lady eagerly continued with her story. Natalie inferred that he may have been the first one to talk and listen to Helena Ravenclaw about her relationship with her mother, explaining the sudden and unjustified confidence in him. _"My mother, they say, never admitted the diadem was gone, but it affected her… She concealed my betrayal from all of the other founders."_

"_But soon after, she became fatally ill – she wanted to see my face one more time despite my perfidy. So, as was typical of my mother, she sent a man, whom I disliked immensely, but was in love with me, to find and bring me back to her."_

"_Who was this man?"_ asked Riddle warmly. Natalie did not think that he remotely cared about the man.

"_The Baron, of course."_

The young Kalissa covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes as wide as saucers. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Natalie all simultaneously let out sharp gasps of surprise, gazing at each other in amazement. Minerva's mouth was wide open as she gaped at the older Kalissa and Dumbledore who wore identically wry smiles. Natalie knew of only one Baron that the Grey Lady would also know, but it seemed extremely unlikely that he would have loved her.

"_The Bloody Baron!"_ breathed Riddle in shock. For once, his calm visage had unraveled.

"_Yes,"_ said the Grey Lady, sounding amused. _"It is quite difficult to think that he loved me, isn't it? But he did track me to the forest where I was hiding. When I refused to return with him and then refused to be with him, his anger was terrible. The Baron was always an ill tempered man. Furious at my refusal, jealous at my freedom, he stabbed me."_

"_Oh, that's horrible – I'm so sorry,"_ said Riddle sadly. _"It's a devastating story."_

"_It is,"_ agreed the Grey Lady, apparently satisfied with his answer. Natalie could not help but think that perhaps the reason Riddle could slip into her good graces so easily was that they were not completely different.

"_Did you manage to see your mother?"_ said Riddle sincerely.

"_I was dead,"_ answered the Grey Lady coolly.

"_Oh no, I didn't mean that way,"_ protested Riddle frantically. _"How insensitive of me! I mean as a ghost?"_

"_Oh,"_ said the Grey Lady. _"I did not – she died before I could make the transformation."_

"_I'm sorry again,"_ said Riddle, the flattering compassion returning to his voice. _"I'm certain that she loved you no matter what happened."_

She could hear Harry snort beside her. "Quite the charmer," whispered Natalie. "You would never think that he would become Voldemort."

"_I hope so,"_ stated the Grey Lady longingly.

"In a way, it is rather impressive," whispered Harry to her. "I mean horribly cruel and selfish, but he knows how to get what he wants." Natalie nodded, agreeing that it was no wonder how Voldemort managed to attract so many followers.

"_What happened to the diadem?"_ asked Riddle casually.

"_You're not looking for it, are you?"_ said the Grey Lady suspiciously. _"Because you do seem different than the others that have asked me."_

"_Of course not,"_ said Riddle innocently. _"Coming from a Muggle background, I'm very fascinated with the history of the school and this is quite the story. I do think however that you and your mother deserve to have the diadem returned to the school – I mean it belongs to the both of you."_

By discreetly including the Grey Lady as one of the rightful owners of the diadem, Natalie perceived that Riddle's subtle hint had resonated with the Grey Lady.

"_It does belong to us,"_ agreed the Grey Lady in a very content tone.

"_Perhaps if during the summer, I could find the diadem and return it to you?"_ offered Riddle kindly. _"I want to thank the school for really giving me so much – I came from a very poor Muggle background."_

Natalie was rather taken aback at Riddle's willingness to use his Muggle background to arouse sympathy. She thought that he would be too ashamed of that part of his heritage.

"_It would be nice to have it,"_ remarked the Grey Lady contemplatively.

"_You deserve to have the diadem,"_ said Riddle emphatically.

"_I do,"_ agreed the Grey Lady.

"_And it would save you all the effort from making that trip to the forest,"_ said Riddle. Natalie noticed that neither a pleading note nor a pressuring insistence crept into his voice.

"_It would,"_ said the Grey Lady. _"Very well – what's your name? What house are you in?"_

Natalie presumed that Riddle had thought ahead to not wear his Slytherin coloured robes, nor his tie bearing the Slytherin emblem.

"_Timothy Rowanson ma'am,"_ lied Riddle. _"And I belong to the house of you and your mother."_

"_I suspected as much,"_ said the Grey Lady, the pleasure evident in her voice. _"There you can use that book to write down the location."_

"_In a forest in Albania,"_ continued the Grey Lady happily. _"In fact, I hid it in a hollow tree. There come closer so I can tell you exactly where it is – I'd prefer to not say the location so loudly – nervous habit, you see."_

Natalie breathed in frustration, hearing most of the others do the same. She saw the young Kalissa debating whether to move forward once they heard the Grey Lady whisper something indecipherable to Riddle. But to her disappointment, Kalissa chose to stay behind the wall, a resigned expression on her face.

"_Very well, thank you ma'am,"_ said Riddle in gratitude. _"When I find it, I will make sure to come back the castle and return the diadem to you personally."_

"_You're a good boy, Timothy,"_ said the Grey Lady affectionately. _"Now, good bye."_

After the Grey Lady left, they heard Riddle begin to walk, his footsteps becoming more distant. The teenage Kalissa finally emerged from the turn, stepping behind a tapestry that led to a hidden passageway. She moved at an almost sprint along the passageway until she pushed through a barely discernible door, and then walked down the corresponding passage, arriving directly in front of a very happy Tom Riddle.

"_Ah Kalissa. What a pleasant surprise,"_ greeted Riddle coldly, stopping in his tracks.

They had barely managed to keep up with the young Kalissa. Panting, Natalie stepped forward so she could have a closer look at the teenage version of Voldemort. He indeed was very handsome. The dark, black hair that barely hung over his forehead, the pale, unblemished face and the heavy knitted eyebrows would have had Parvati and Lavender swooning instantly. She noticed with a slight startle that his figure almost identically resembled that of Harry. He had the same lean, wiry physique that despite the lack of visibly filled out muscles and thick arms or legs, suggested a great collective strength. However, seeing his eyes and the nasty smile on his face, Natalie shivered, realizing who the boy really was. Maybe because she knew he would become Lord Voldemort, she was perceiving intricacies that were not tangible. But a vapid emptiness hollowed out his dark eyes; no intensity of emotion burned bright in those orbs, but rather a malevolent iciness intermingled itself with those dark clouds. It was not the coldness she saw in Malfoy's grey eyes, but in a much more threatening way, the iciness Riddle possessed hinted at a genuine disdain and lack of concern for anything and anyone. His smile, which instead of displaying a fulfilling joy and contentment, showed an insidious pleasure, likely in the satisfaction of some cruel, insatiable hunger. His expression unnerved Natalie far more than the handsome looks summoned begrudging admiration.

"_Tom,"_ acknowledged Kalissa, her eyes narrowed at him.

"_You do have a rather unpleasant habit of, how to say it properly, dropping into me this year,"_ drawled Riddle. Natalie noticed him discreetly place the hand with the Slytherin ring into his pocket. So, Natalie thought in horror, he had already killed off his Muggle family, not to mention the girl that died from the Basilisk. In his other hand, he held what looked to be a Muggle diary. Seeing the looks of recognition of Harry and Dumbledore's faces, Natalie surmised that this was the same diary used to open the Chamber of Secrets.

"_You seem awfully happy,"_ said Kalissa suspiciously. _"Perhaps, I should alert Madame Hellen that she will be treating one or two Muggleborn students with grievous injuries tomorrow caused by heinous acts of Dark Magic."_

The hideous smile returned to Riddle's face. _"Always with the unfound accusations."_

"_I don't think they're unfound at all,"_ said Kalissa, crossing her arms across her chest.

"_Tell me, do you and McGonagall spend your nights trying to place the blame for all the incidents in the school on me?"_

"_It's better than placing the blame on an innocent third year boy,"_ said Kalissa disgustedly.

"_Hinting at something, are we Kalissa?"_ hissed Riddle, his eyes briefly flashing in anger.

"_I think you know what I'm talking about,"_ stated Kalissa, sneering at him.

Riddle checked his watch. _"As much as I'd like to defend myself from your hostile attacks, I really do have some Head Boy business I need to attend to."_

Riddle pushed past Kalissa with his hand. As soon as his hand touched her, she immediately recoiled herself from him, sharply slapping his hand away.

"_Touchy, are we?"_ said Riddle, as he turned his back to Kalissa, beginning to walk away.

"_Vauxhall road?"_ said Kalissa disdainfully. _"I never thought you to be the type of person to carry around a Muggle diary."_

Riddle stopped. His body stiffened. Kalissa seemed to have struck a nerve.

"_Is that where your Muggle orphanage is?"_ pressed Kalissa, stepping closer to him. _"You know, for a Slytherin, I always thought you would be ashamed of the fact that you grew up in a Muggle orphanage."_

"_I am ashamed I had to grow up in that filthy hovel. But you wouldn't know, would you? The privileges of a pureblood child – I must wonder how it must feel to have everything heaped on a platter for you," _spat Riddle venomously, his back to Kalissa. He was beginning to shake.

Kalissa clenched her fists, her eyes alight in fury. "_But it is a good story, isn't it? Tom Riddle – the 'boy, who was orphaned at birth, grew up in an orphanage, completely unaware of magic, suffered for 11 years from loneliness and neglect until he received his Hogwarts Letter and developed into the next Minister of Magic',"_ remarked Kalissa, her voice high pitched and dramatic when she described him.

"_But then again, they don't know the real story, do they? No one would feel sorry for you if they knew _what_ you really are,"_ hissed Kalissa.

Riddle slowly turned his back. _"And what am I?"_ asked Riddle slowly, a malicious edge to his voice.

"_A murderer,"_ stated Kalissa simply.

"_I had no idea I had killed somebody,"_ snarled Riddle. The conversation hovered dangerously on the edge; if Kalissa continued to provoke him, he would undoubtedly retaliate. Looking at the others, Natalie noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were all staring at Kalissa in a mixture of awe and shock.

"_Of course, you don't,"_ said Kalissa simply. _"You should realize my dear Tom, that a murderer doesn't become the Minister of Magic."_

"_You honestly think that I plan to do _that_?"_ said Riddle, leering at her.

"_I suppose you have far _grander_ plans on your horizon."_

When Riddle did not answer, but merely continued to sneer at her in pure hatred, Kalissa continued. _"Don't think that I don't know about your _experiments_ with your friends. When you're out of Hogwarts, one of these _experiments_ will eventually go too far."_

"_Is that a warning?"_ asked Riddle, moving closer to her.

"_Do you think I give a damn about you?"_ said Kalissa, the coldness in her eyes matching that of Riddle. The absolute disdain she conveyed as well her indifference to the ominous anger on Riddle's face made her look extremely formidable. _"Personally, I'm hoping that one of those experiments backfires and you get what you deserve: a painful death."_

Riddle let out a horrible, cackling laugh that raised the hairs on the back of Natalie's neck. She saw Ron, Hermione and Minerva also flinch. Kalissa and Harry stared at Riddle with absolute repulsion on theirs faces while Dumbledore watched him with a sad glint in his eye.

"_Death? Do you think that scares me? I have greater plans than _that_,"_ drawled Riddle in a much higher, colder voice. Harry's posture stiffened. She supposed he recognized that tone from the older version of Voldemort.

The young Kalissa blinked at him. _"You are a vile piece of scum. Maybe that's why your parents never wanted you."_

Riddle stopped laughing though a wild happiness seemed to fill his face. A hungry, unnerving red gleam appeared in his eyes, giving him the appearance of something much more inhuman than the attractive boy they had seen only minutes earlier.

"_You should watch that mouth. Dumbledore's not always going to be around to keep an eye on you,"_ hissed Riddle dangerously.

"_What does that exactly mean?"_ said Kalissa coldly, holding her ground.

"_Take it as I say it. When you're out of Hogwarts, there will be consequences my dear…"_

"_Is that a threat?"_ asked Kalissa menacingly.

Riddle let out another terribly cackling laugh. _"Why don't I put it this way? If you talked to me like that in any other place, you'll be craving, longing for the Killing Curse."_

"_Think rather highly of your magical abilities, don't you?"_ sneered Kalissa. No trace of fear or hesitation could be seen in her features.

Riddle's eyes again flashed in fury. _"Why don't I show you?"_

Faster than Natalie thought possible, both wands were instantly pulled out and at each other's throats. _"Ah impressive Kalissa,"_ spat Riddle in her face, an insidious smile on his face. _"Now, let's see the real depth of your magical knowledge."_

Natalie's heart pumped against her chest. She had to tell herself that nothing dangerous had happened to Kalissa; the actual Kalissa was standing beside her, alive and healthy. Nonetheless, the way in which Riddle's face contorted into that contemptuous, menacing sneer frightened and unsettled Natalie. If he believed he could leave unpunished, Natalie was certain that he would attempt to kill Kalissa. And moreover, though it was through Kalissa's own senses and perceptions of the memory, an undeniable magical energy sizzled and buzzed through the air. Both of them were extremely powerful. The magic emanating from their anger was enough to cause an explosion.

Suddenly, the barely perceptible sound of footsteps could be heard. Riddle immediately retracted his wand, the hideous smile remained stretched across his features. Kalissa also returned her wand to her pocket, but her eyes remained squarely on Riddle's arm. As Kalissa's wand disappeared, a 50 year old younger Albus Dumbledore emerged from the nearest turn.

Natalie sighed in relief. This Dumbledore looked and acted much younger than the one she knew. Instead of thin, grey hair, rich and long auburn hair swept over his beard and head. His face bore none of the wrinkles, creases and lines imprinted onto the older Dumbledore. Though, his presence had not changed in 50 years; this Dumbledore also gave off an overwhelming sense of calm.

"_Tom, Kalissa,"_ said Dumbledore softly, approaching the two of them from behind Riddle's back. _"It is rather late for a nighttime chat."_ Despite the harmless words, he watched Riddle intently with a solemn expression.

"_Professor, we just bumped into each other,"_ stated Riddle casually. The cruel smile finally vanished once he turned his back from Kalissa to face Dumbledore.

"_I can see,"_ replied Dumbledore, gazing now at Kalissa. _"And judging from the amount of magic in the air, it looks like it was more than a friendly chat. I am rather impressed that the two of you managed to hide your wands so quickly."_

Riddle blinked, his jaw clenched. He obviously did not expect Dumbledore to know they were on the brink of cursing each other.

"_We had a bit of argument,"_ said Kalissa, catching Dumbledore's eye. Natalie sensed that they would talk about Riddle's pursuit of the diadem later.

"_Ah,"_ commented Dumbledore, his eyes returning to Riddle. _"As both of you must know, duels between students are not tolerated. And Tom, being Head Boy, you should be setting an example."_

"_Yes, sir,"_ said Riddle forcefully. His eyes focused on the corner Dumbledore had walked from; he refused to meet the older man's eyes. _"This will not happen again."_

"_Sorry, sir,"_ answered Kalissa, giving Dumbledore a small smile.

Dumbledore reciprocated the smile. _"I think that's sufficient. Taking points and assigning detentions seems rather harsh for a duel that never occurred. Now, it is getting late and I suggest that both of you return to your dormitories."_

Riddle nodded. Ignoring Dumbledore, he walked past Kalissa, his eyes flashing at her. His figure disappeared as he descended the staircase to the dungeons.

"I think that's enough," said the older Kalissa, motioning for all of them to join hands. The four students partnered with the assigned adults while the younger Kalissa and Dumbledore exited the corridor in the opposite direction of Riddle. Their surroundings rapidly became hazier. "Alright – Albus, you'll go first, then Minerva and finally Natalie and I."

In order, Dumbledore and Minerva pulled out Harry, Ron and Hermione from the memory. As Hermione and Minerva zoomed out of the memory, Natalie felt a tug on her shoulder. Seconds later, they soared weightlessly through darkness once more, before landing squarely in the present day office.

**A/N: How did you guys like this chapter?**


	31. The Older Dark Lord

Chapter 31- The Older Dark Lord

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! All the support is as always appreciated. Thanks to my sister for editing this chapter!**

**I was away during the holidays and apologize for not updating.**

**This chapter is very long but there's a great deal of information revealed. **

**Enjoy!**

"Wow," said Natalie, trying to maintain her balance.

Kalissa straightened out her robes. "It is a very informative memory."

"So did he find the diadem?" asked Harry, leaning on Dumbledore's desk. Natalie and Kalissa joined him on that side. Ron and Hermione were standing on the opposite side of the desk while Minerva stood in the middle. Dumbledore took his seat, his hands clasped on the desk.

"I think we have enough time to go over this memory before we see the other memory," said Kalissa, biting her lip. She siphoned off the fluid from the pensieve onto her wand, touching the wand to her forehead and letting the fluid flow back into her head.

"Yes, we do," answered Dumbledore, looking at his watch. "We're thankfully well ahead of schedule." He waved his wand, conjuring two mahogany settees in front of the desk. "Please sit – I believe we stood enough during the memory."

Harry, Kalissa and Natalie sat on one settee while Minerva, Ron and Hermione took the other settee

"Good," noted Kalissa. "And Harry to answer your question, I believe he did find the diadem, though I cannot be certain. Immediately after that encounter, I told Albus about Tom wanting to look for the diadem. As I'm sure you realized, I was not close enough to hear the specific location."

"Did you try to find it that summer?" asked Natalie, looking at both Kalissa and Dumbledore.

"I did go to Albania that summer, trying to determine from the locals there where a magical item of such importance could be hidden," said Dumbledore. "Unfortunately, Helena Ravenclaw did an excellent job of keeping the object hidden because unlike with Voldemort's 10 year residence in the forests of Albania, there were no such stories about any unusual or odd places of magic in any of the forests. Presuming that Helena Ravenclaw gave him the correct location, then we can reasonably be certain that Tom managed to acquire the diadem."

"But we should have looked more into his obsession with the founder's objects," said Kalissa in frustration. "Of course, I surmised that he did some terrible things to get the ring, but I always thought it was a way for him to feel more connected to the wizarding world and erase all memories of his Muggle heritage. Only when the diary appeared four years ago, the significance of those objects became a bit clearer."

"Who would have known he planned to use Horcruxes?" stated Harry somberly.

"Well, Horace would have, but seeing as he was and is still a vain fool, the secret would have been completely hidden," said Kalissa, smiling ruefully. Ron and Harry snickered. "Finding that diary was extremely important however."

"He was quite the charmer, wasn't he?" remarked Ron

"Yes, he was," said Minerva, her lips pursed. "Almost nobody saw the side of him that Kalissa or Albus saw – almost all of the teachers and most of the students thought him to be the ideal and perfect student."

Natalie snorted. "Must have been quite shock when it finally came out what he was along."

"Indeed, it was," said Dumbledore gravely.

"Do you know where he would hide this horcrux?" questioned Hermione, shifting the conversation back to the diadem.

Kalissa smiled at her. "Very good question – the answer is sadly no. There are many obvious possibilities, but the problem with the diadem is that there are almost no –"

"Portraits, photos or pictures of it," finished Hermione.

"Precisely," enunciated Kalissa. "In fact, if you've been paying attention in your History of Magic classes, the very existence of the diadem is in doubt because there was no concrete evidence about it."

"Then, You-Know-Who does not need to hide it anywhere because nobody will recognize the object as belonging to Ravenclaw," stated Minerva, frowning.

"It could just be a simple diadem or tiara," concluded Natalie.

"We have considered that possibility," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It is a straw to grasp as the Muggles say – there is always the chance that Tom, knowing the history of the diadem, would keep the diadem in a public place where many people pass through."

"He's definitely arrogant enough to do something like that," said Minerva in assent.

"The Ministry?" proposed Ron.

"Hogwarts would be even better," suggested Harry.

"Those are two of the major locations that come to mind," responded Dumbledore. "However, I have yet to come across a seemingly ordinary tiara in either place, though I have definitely not ruled out the possibility that others have."

"Then, really, we have no idea where the diadem is?" said Harry despondently.

Kalissa sighed. "The simple answer to that question right now is yes, but if you remember, I said that there was _almost _no evidence proving the existence of the diadem."

"There are pictures?" said Hermione, immediately catching onto the hint.

"And you've found them?" said Natalie excitedly.

Kalissa chuckled. "Do any of you know who is rumoured to have built the diadem?"

"Goblins? – I believe they're the ones who designed Gryffindor's sword," asked Minerva.

"No, though a good guess, Minerva," said Kalissa, clearly enjoying the extremely attentive looks the others were sporting. "In fact, the diadem is a product of elf magic."

"As in house elves?" said Ron blankly. Minerva, Harry and Natalie appeared equally as surprised while Hermione looked to be bursting with pleasure.

Kalissa smiled at him. "Yes, indeed – house elves have extremely powerful magic despite the derogatory and prejudiced views of most of the wizarding world."

Hermione bore an absolutely radiant expression on her face. "Thank you Kalissa. I don't know how so many wizards and witches fail to see the great magical ability house elves have – I mean –"

"So, the elves have pictures of the diadem?" interjected Natalie, ignoring the irate expression on Hermione's face. Ron and Harry grinned at each other while Minerva stared at Natalie in disapproval.

Kalissa smiled at Hermione. "I'm glad you share my view of house elves Hermione and I apologize for Natalie's rudeness. But Natalie, for your question, the answer is much more complicated than a simple yes or no."

"I should have expected that," groaned Natalie.

Kalissa rolled her eyes at Natalie. "The story behind the diadem, from all the information and rumors I've managed to collect ever since I realized the diadem was a Horcrux, is that Rowena Ravenclaw was extremely fond of her house elf – I believe she had stronger feelings for the elf than her own daughter which is not entirely unbelievable after seeing the daughter."

"Sounds just like Hermione," muttered Ron under his breath. Natalie laughed while Hermione elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

Kalissa laughed. "I think a comparison to Rowena Ravenclaw should be taken as a wonderful compliment. Anyway, when the house elf started to die, Rowena decided to honour the house elf by granting the elf's family the task of making a magical object that Rowena would label as the symbol of Ravenclaw. So the elf's family built this diadem, providing it with many of the powers and talents that house elves possess and that wizards and witches have no hope of acquiring. But when Ravenclaw's daughter stole the diadem, not only was Rowena crushed by her daughter's betrayal, but also was the elf's family for Rowena's house elf would not be able to give his mistress an object that could bring her satisfaction. You see, elves, because of the obligations to their masters and mistresses imbued in their magic, place immense value on not only serving but ensuring that their master or mistress is completely happy. The house elf's family, believing that the diadem, and not Helena Ravenclaw, was the source of Rowena's devastating sadness, wanted to distant themselves as much as possible from the diadem. All evidence of the diadem's creation was promptly destroyed including Ravenclaw's own records as well as all house elf records."

"But?" continued Natalie, watching Kalissa intently.

Kalissa's eyes sparkled. "Yes, there is a 'but.' You see the house elf – Rowena's house elf, was different than most elves in that he wanted the rest of the magical world to recognize and acknowledge house elves as equals as I believe we should. But this house elf saw the diadem as a crucial step for elves to achieve this equality. Realizing that Rowena could not bring herself to tell the other founders or anyone else about the diadem, he drew an extremely accurate image of the diadem, describing all of its magical attributes and powers. And in the hope that if this image was spread around the wizarding world, then wizards and witches would come to better appreciate the magical talents of house elves, he decided to give it to a wizard who he felt would have both the will and power to disseminate that information. The wizard of course was the man Rowena Ravenclaw loved for most of her life: Salazar Slytherin."

A shocked silence followed Kalissa's statement. Except for Dumbledore, everyone glanced at one another with astonished, befuddled expressions.

"The exact opposite of her daughter," noted Natalie, finally breaking the silence with a dry laugh.

"Why Slytherin though?" asked Hermione desperately. "The elf must have known that Slytherin had nothing, but contempt for anything other than a pure blooded wizard."

"You are right, Hermione," agreed Kalissa with a sad smile. "Slytherin, when given this image by the elf, had no plans or desires about spreading word of the incredible magic of house elves."

"What happened to the diadem then?" asked Ron, patting Hermione's back consolingly. Hermione looked completely devastated and disheartened by the story.

"That's where it gets interesting," said Kalisa. "It turns out Rowena Ravenclaw's love was not entirely unrequited. In an extremely odd gesture, Slytherin had his house elves write the entire story about the creation of the diadem in honour of Ravenclaw and her elf. The story was written in the highly complicated and almost indecipherable language of the elves; the story quickly evolved into one of the more famous tales that only spread between house elves. Slytherin, in a great act of kindness, buried the image of the diadem with the elf seeing that despite all of his abilities, he was unable to determine the location of Helena Ravenclaw and find the diadem."

"Beautiful," breathed Hermione, a pleased smile returning to her face. "So Slytherin wasn't that bad at all."

"No, he wasn't," commented Kalissa, smiling as well.

"Wait," said Natalie, trying to grasp Kalissa's story. "So you're saying that the story is pretty much well known among house elves?"

"Yes," replied Kalissa, winking at Natalie.

"Then to know about the diadem, all anybody had to do was just take the time to ask an elf," deducted Harry, shaking his head.

Kalissa nodded. "But you have to remember that even the most open minded witches and wizards would not assume that the diadem was in fact created by house elves merely because of the way we have made it almost fact that elves are inferior to humans. Moreover, most elves were not willing to talk about the diadem because like the house elf's family, they viewed the diadem as a terrible object that caused great, unnecessary distress to a great witch."

"In fact," continued Kalissa. "The way I learnt of the role the elves played was through one of the house elves at Durmstrang –"

"Pipey?" said Natalie with a knowing smile.

"Yes," replied Kalissa fondly. "After some prodding, she reluctantly relayed the entire story to me. Of course, she didn't know the location of the image – I had to ask many of my historical contacts to determine which elves Slytherin had ordered to write the story."

"So those were the trips you took over the past three summers?" asked Natalie. "You weren't actually attending to Malkae family matters."

"Yes, though I did have family matters to deal with," said Kalissa. "Anyway, once I'd found the descendants of the original elves who wrote the story and were in contact with Slytherin, I was able to find out from them what exactly happened to the image. And then, it just became a very arduous process of finding the grave of Ravenclaw's house elf. For that, I used a couple of people I taught at Hogwarts who I knew I could trust and who were absolutely obsessed with finding the founder's items – of course, not in the same way as Tom but in a purely historical sense. They have informed me as of last week that they are almost certain about the location of the grave and now are just seeking and convincing a few house elves to help them to open the grave and find the image. To not alert Voldemort, I have told them that the diadem is very important to Voldemort and he will readily kill anybody who reveals evidence about its existence. As you might imagine, they have agreed to publish the information when Voldemort is gone – in any case, the image is rather useless without the actual diadem to prove it so I'm pretty certain they won't publish the diadem."

"Then you'll know what the diadem looks like soon," said Minerva, looking at her friend in wonder. "Kalissa, I have to say that you have outdone yourself this time. That was quite brilliant."

"I only looked past the conventional and unfair prejudices of wizarding society," said Kalissa simply though her cheeks had turned a faint pink.

"How much do you think it will help knowing what the diadem looks like?" asked Natalie.

"It will at the very least help in recognizing the diadem if indeed Voldemort has chosen to place it in a place many pass through," replied Dumbledore pensively. "But of more use, we can enlist the help of our house elf friends – seeing that the image describes all the specific magical properties of the diadem, then I believe it is reasonable to conclude that other house elves may very well be able to detect that magic."

Kalissa nodded. "And if Tom chose a location such as Hogwarts or the Ministry for the Horcrux, then detecting that magic and finding the exact location of the diadem should not be too difficult."

"So then you're well on your way to finding the diadem in fact," concluded Harry delightedly.

"We believe so," answered Kalissa cautiously.

"Then there's only the locket and cup to find out about," said Hermione, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"So you have an idea where the cup and locket are?" asked Natalie, looking first at Kalissa and then at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded. "Harry, if you remember the memory I showed you when I went to inform Tom he was a wizard, Mrs. Cole at the orphanage informed me that there was an incident in one of their excursions at a cave by the sea in which young Tom used his magic to terrify other children. Being likely the first instance in which Tom was able to successfully manipulate his talents to inflict harm upon others, I had a hunch that the cave would be a location he would treasure."

"That does make sense," agreed Natalie. "Have you found the cave?"

"She wasn't very specific about the cave though," recalled Harry, frowning.

"No, she wasn't," admitted Dumbledore. "However, I finally managed to obtain the Muggle records from that orphanage a few months ago – finding Muggle documents, especially ones from 50 years, are extremely time consuming and difficult regardless of how much magic one knows. The location and time of that excursion wasn't clear on that document but I've managed to pinpoint a few sites. I imagine that I'll know the location very soon – I'm presuming that only one of those sites will show signs of magic."

"Amazing," said Harry in admiration. "So that's one Horcrux there."

"What about the orphanage or at least the spot where the orphanage used to be?" posed Minerva.

Kalissa smiled. "Actually, that was something I wanted to point out in the memory. You saw the way he reacted when I mentioned the orphanage?"

"That was bloody brilliant by the way – how you stood up to him," breathed Ron, gazing at Kalissa in awe.

"Language, Mr. Weasley," admonished Minerva though Natalie could detect a faint touch of amusement in her voice.

Natalie laughed. "Kalissa, I was absolutely frightened for you – with his eyes and that sneer, he looked terrifying. I have no idea how you didn't flinch," noted Natalie, patting her guardian on the back.

Kalissa waved off Natalie and Ron. "With him, I was always particularly vicious – some of the things I said were pretty cruel too. In retrospect, knowing that he had already used the Killing Curse by that point and now knowing how fast his wand is, provoking him like that wasn't the smartest of decisions."

"But he needed to know not everyone was either scared of him or falling for his act," said Minerva sharply.

"Yes, I suppose," said Kalissa with an embarassed shrug. "But you did see how he reacted when I mentioned the orphanage?"

"He seemed to want to distant himself from it," commented Hermione thoughtfully. "He said he was 'ashamed', but after you mocked the orphanage, he seemed more willing to divulge his plans of doing something more than being Minister and about having grander ideas. It's almost like he wanted to justify himself to you when you, er, mocked his Muggle background."

"Exactly," said Kalissa, beaming at Hermione. "I would have loved to teach you. But yes, Hermione, he wanted nothing to do with that orphanage. For that reason alone, I was very skeptical that he would be willing to hide a Horcrux in the orphanage. The orphanage was long ago destroyed, but I have checked the location – there appears to be no signs of magic."

"That's not a location then," stated Natalie.

Harry scratched his chin. "So to sum everything up, you said that you're pretty sure where the locket is, but what about the cup?"

"Ah, thank you Harry for reminding me," said Kalissa brightly. "Your question can be answered by the second memory."

All eyes, including those of the portraits on the wall, returned eagerly to Kalissa. She tapped the wand once again to her forehead, letting the silvery strand of memory seep onto her wand and quickly dropped the strand into the pensieve.

"Alright, you all know the procedure by now," said Kalissa. "But I have to warn you that this memory is the far more unpleasant of the two."

"How so?" asked Hermione anxiously.

Dumbledore's eyes fixated on Harry. "The memory involves the capture and torture of Harry's parents and Kalissa by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It is indeed not one of my favourite memories to watch," answered Dumbledore solemly.

Harry stiffened beside Natalie, swallowing as his hands fidgeted with the sleeves of his jumper. She gently intertwined her hand with one of his, giving him a slight squeeze.

Kalissa smiled at Harry before fixing her gaze on the others. "The Death Eaters, if any of you are interested, were Marcus Dorphin, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange as well as Tom." Kalissa's eyes flickered momentarily to Natalie before resting on the pensieve.

"Er, Kalissa," said Natalie, realizing that Kalissa believed Ron to be oblivious of her identity. "There's no need to be so clandestine – Ron knows who my mother is – I told him a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh, really," said Kalissa, stunned. "You never told me, Natalie?"

Natalie's stomach squirmed guiltily, hearing the slight disappointment in Kalissa's tone. "I meant to the last time we met, but I was so happy at the time to see you and we were talking about so many things –"

Kalissa raised her hand to silence Natalie. "Don't worry about it – I'm disappointed that you didn't tell me, but also very happy that you feel comfortable sharing your secret." She held Natalie's eyes for a moment, signaling that she wanted a thorough explanation of why Natalie decided to confide in Ron and how Ron reacted.

Kalissa smiled warmly at Ron. "I believe I must thank you for keeping her identity to yourself."

Ron shrugged his shoulders, his ears turning red. "It doesn't change who she is even if her mother is Bellatrix Lestrange."

Minerva raised her eyebrows at Ron. "I must say, Mr. Weasley, that you handled that knowledge very quickly and very well."

"Much better than I did," concurred Harry proudly.

"I don't know if I've already told Natalie this, but I'm very happy that she has found some tremendous friends at Hogwarts," said Kalissa, staring at Ron, Hermione and Harry in gratitude. "And of course, in you Harry, something a bit more."

Harry blushed. "It's not all us – she's great by the way."

Dumbledore cleared his throat, relieving Natalie of her embarrassment and Kalissa of her sentimental outburst. "As much as I agree with Kalissa, we do have a memory to observe."

Minerva chuckled. "Albus, how ironic that it is you who brings us back to topic."

Kalissa nodded. "Yes, Albus is right – I've warned you lot about the memory so let's gather around and enter – the same order as last time."

They all plunged themselves one by one into the silvery fluid of the pensieve. After enduring the nauseating drop, they landed in what appeared to be a cellar. A dank, musty smell filled Natalie's nose. An unnatural, jagged assortment of rocks, undoubtedly attached to one another by magic, formed the four walls of the room. Several candles located within small spaces between the rocks illuminated the cellar. Alongside the back wall, a young man with the familiar combination of messy, black hair and spectacles writhed under the chains holding him in place, but unfamiliar hazel eyes. Next to Natalie, Harry gulped; the man under the chains was undoubtedly James Potter. A few feet away from him, Natalie noticed a younger version of Kalissa, also bound by the same chains, but instead of struggling frantically like James, she merely looked around the cellar with a sad expression on her face.

"_Haha! Here comes the Mudblood!"_ exclaimed a harsh, piercing voice. Natalie's insides froze. She knew exactly who that person was. Telling herself that this was only a memory, Natalie tried her best to slow her breathing even though she sensed what would happen.

Natalie felt Harry's hand slip into her own hand. She squeezed his hand, realizing that he needed her assurance and presence as strongly as she needed his support.

Bellatrix emerged from the shadows below a staircase that likely led to the upper floors of the building. Under Bellatrix's arm, Natalie detected a slender, pale young girl with a rich mane of red hair. When the girl's face appeared, Natalie's suspicions were confirmed; it was the same face she saw in Harry's album and Severus Snape's childhood photo.

Leaning into Harry, Natalie could almost feel his heart thrashing against his chest. Drops of sweat began to make their way down his neck.

"_Leave her alone!"_ shouted James, struggling more violently against the chains.

"_Bellatrix, she doesn't know much,"_ said Kalissa quietly. _"I do though."_

Bellatrix released a terribly, cackling laugh, eerily similar to that of Voldemort_. "Potter, you're a pathetic blood traitor. You must know by now that I find playing with Mudbloods to be a very enjoyable pastime."_

She threw Lily roughly onto the stone floor. Her body landed with sharp crack. But amazingly, Lily lifted herself onto her knees.

"_So tell me Mudblood, what is it that they discuss in those Order meetings?"_ said Bellatrix, licking her lips as she prowled around Lily.

"_The pieces of scum that ruin this world like yourself,"_ spat Lily, staring defiantly at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix clapped her hands in delight. _"Oooh, the Mudblood has a fast mouth. Well, let's exercise those vocal chords, shall we?"_

"_Crucio!"_

Lily's body twisted and contorted viciously in mid air. A shrill, horribly drawn out scream filled the room. Harry released Natalie's hand, heading frantically for his mother. Natalie grabbed his arm, using all of her strength to hold him arm back.

"_LILYYY! LILY! LILY!"_ bellowed James, pounding the chains against the stone wall.

"Harry, it's just a memory – she'll be alright. She escapes," whispered Natalie into his ear, rubbing his arm.

Ron and Hermione, whose faces were absolutely pale, had also turned to Harry in surprise. Dumbledore's eyes rested on the two of them, sad understanding spread across his features. Minerva shook her head at Bellatrix in disgust.

Kalissa glanced worriedly at both of them. Natalie nodded assuredly at her, silently telling her that both of them would be fine.

"_This is only the appetizer my dear,"_ hissed Bellatrix, a devastating smile on her face.

"_Crucio!"_

Lily's body again lurched in the air as another heart wrenching scream pervaded around the room.

"_NO LILY LILY!"_

Harry's head fell on Natalie's shoulders, his body convulsing. Natalie stroked his hair, pressing a kiss onto his forehead. "Harry, it's a memory, it's a memory. They escape from this."

"_Bellatrix – she doesn't know anything,"_ said Kalissa, staring solemnly at Bellatrix. _"I know you want to torture me."_

Bellatrix pointed her wand at Kalissa. _"The Dark Lord wants you for himself."_ She motioned her head to a table in which a knife, laced with a sickly, purple substance, lay along with three wands that Natalie supposed belong to Lily, James and Kalissa.

Before Bellatrix could place another Cruciatus curse on Lily, two more robed figures entered the room from the staircase. The older Kalissa motioned for them to move closer to Bellatrix and the two Death Eaters. With an arm around Harry's slumped shoulders and bowed head, Natalie guided the two of them to her actual mother.

"_What?"_ hissed Bellatrix.

"_It has been delivered to your vault – I personally accompanied the goblins- one or two required some persuasion,"_ said an older, thin grey haired with a disgusting sneer on his face. His eyes hungrily roved over Lily's limp figure.

"_Good,"_ said Bellatrix, a maniacal happiness disseminating her face. _"The Dark Lord will be pleased."_

"_I never thought of the day when we would bear something of Hufflepuff,"_ muttered the other man who much younger with brown hair and a brown beard, but horribly dark eyes.

"_Rodolphus, it is the Dark Lord's possession!"_ screamed Bellatrix, grabbing the man by the collar and pushing him against the wall with surprising strength. _"We are honoured to be trusted with such an object."_

She released Rodolphus, still glaring at him furiously. He dusted off his clothes, rubbing his arms, eying her wearily.

Harry nudged Natalie, startling her. She looked at him, seeing that his head was raised, gazing intently at the younger Kalissa. She had managed to cut herself with the rocks and appeared to be mumbling out of the corner of her mouth to James. His struggles under the chain became slightly less vehement and energetic as his eyes narrowed.

"_You always treat your husband like that, do you Bellatrix?"_ said Kalissa conversationally.

"_Shut up, you filthy whore,"_ snarled Dorphin.

"_Haven't changed much then Dorphin?"_ said Kalissa, rolling her eyes at him. She smirked at Rodolphus. _"The way she fawns over her beloved 'Dark Lord', you must wonder whether they've slept together."_

"_Always with the cheeky comments,"_ leered Rodolphus though he did not meet Kalissa's curious gaze.

"_Haven't you wondered though Rodolphus?"_ continued Kalissa, winking at him. _"Bellatrix would certainly be willing and from our school days, I remember Tom never to be one to not take advantage of the opportunity."_

"_How dare you say his name, you filthy blood traitor!"_ shrieked Bellatrix, waving her wand. A whip flowed out of the wand, striking Kalissa's face with a resounding crack. A large gash appeared on her cheek, blood oozing out of the wound. Seeing the satisfied way in which Kalissa's eyes sparkled and the defiant smile on her face, Natalie pondered whether Kalissa planned for Bellatrix to inflict the wound.

"_Leave her, Bellatrix,"_ commanded Dorfin, stepping in front of her. _"The Dark Lord said not to touch her."_

Bellatrix roughly pushed him away, walking towards Lily with an absolutely deranged and savage look in her eyes. _"Let's play more with the Mudblood – that small body does move around nicely with the Cruciatus curse. Rodolphus, let's have some fun."_

Natalie wanted to vomit after hearing the seductive note in Bellatrix's voice. The notion that this very woman gave birth to her flooded her with abominable hatred. She desperately hoped that Bellatrix passed nothing onto her. Though Natalie was appeased by the fact that the hatred was not self directed.

"_It looks like you certainly have had some fun,"_ drawled Rodolphus, walking around Lily. He picked her up, lifting her chin so that their faces were only inches apart.

"_LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU SCUMBAG!"_ bellowed James, throwing himself against the chains.

"_Tut tut Potter, didn't Mummy and Daddy teach you some manners?"_ cooed Bellatrix, giving a high pitched laugh.

"_Very, very desirable,"_ hissed Rodolphus. _"A Mudblood but definitely a nice shag, eh Potter?"_

Lily, with what strength she had, spat in his face, causing Rodolphus to drop her to the floor.

"_Why, you little slut!"_ shouted Rodolphus. _"Crucio!"_

Lily's body once again contorted and twisted in extremely disturbing positions. Harry looked away, burying his head in Natalie's hair. She rubbed his back, feeling tears making her hair wet. She exchanged a grimace with the older Kalissa, who looked very upset by Harry's reaction.

"_LILY! LILY! LILY!" _

"_She is very flexible,"_ said Dorphin, laughing.

"_My turn!"_ cried Bellatrix like a little child waiting to play with an irresistible toy. Natalie turned her head away waiting for Lily's next scream. She saw Minerva do the same. Ron and Hermione were shaking, holding each other's hands. Ron had a look of silent horror on his face while Hermione wiped at her eyes, attempting to stem the flow of tears.

"_Bella, you can wait,"_ said a higher, colder voice that Natalie instantly recognized.

Everyone in the room turned their heads to the foot of the staircase where Lord Voldemort stood. None of them, except for the older Kalissa and Dumbledore, heard him approach.

Natalie gasped at the sight before her. He looked completely different than the dark haired, handsome boy that had charmed and deceived the Grey Lady. Years of immersing himself in the Dark Arts burned and blurred his features together. A powdery white splayed itself over his skin as if the sickly, white underside of a reptile had been excised and pressed thoroughly over his body. He bore none of the lines that defined a face, the border between cheek and forehead, the creases that underlined the eyes and surrounded the nose. Gone were the dark hair and the pale, attractive face to be replaced by something more akin to a round mound with two red dots as eyes and a narrow, barely discernible pipe for a nose. Judging by the way in which his robes hung loosely over his body, Natalie gathered that the rest of the figure had hollowed out in the same manner with no bones and muscles to flesh out and carve any noticeable sort of undulation or curve in his physique.

Despite the nauseating appearance, he appeared to be the most terrifying person Natalie had ever seen. Whereas the 17 year old Tom Riddle unnerved her with a disdain and selfishness that hinted at a ruthlessly, menacing person, this version of Voldemort froze Natalie with the ease in which he epitomized utter, abominable evil. A small, yet malicious and loathsome curl of the parched lips along with the persistent hungry red gleam in his eyes suggested that the maniacal happiness, which briefly contorted the younger Riddle's face, permanently coalesced itself into the object resembling the older one's features.

Harry's body tensed in her arms. He swallowed again; evidently he had not yet encountered Voldemort at the peak of his powers. Ron looked like he was ready to vomit. Hermione kneeled down, her mouth wide open and a glazed look in her eyes as she stared at him.

Lily, who was barely holding herself on the floor in the middle of the room, let out a terrified gasp. James stared at Voldemort in absolute repulsion, his struggle with the chains momentarily forgotten. Only both Kalissas and Dumbledore remained calm and unsurprised at the gruesome and horrifying image of Lord Voldemort.

Bellatrix rushed over to Voldemort's side, prostrating herself at his feet. _"My lord, we have captured Kalissa Malkae as you requested and two members of the Order: James Potter and the Mudblood, Lily Evans,"_ breathed Bellatrix, absolute reverence filling her voice.

"_You have done well, Bella,"_ said Voldemort softly. He raised one of her hands, pressing a kiss to it.

"_And you, Rodolphus and Marcus,"_ added Voldemort, looking towards the two of them who also inclined themselves to their master.

"_Now, I believe I have to make some introductions,"_ said Voldemort, his voice low and dangerous.

He walked over to Lily's slumped body on the floor. She instantly moved back as he approached her. _"Miss Evans, is it? I've heard a great deal from my Death Eaters about your many _talents_. If you weren't a Mudblood, I daresay you'd be a valuable resource."_

Bellatrix lifted her head slightly, her eyes flashing. Natalie perceived that she was not too pleased at the compliment towards the Muggleborn.

"_Never,"_ said Lily, breathing heavily and wincing as she spoke.

Bellatrix instantly moved towards her, a wand at her throat. _"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO THE DARK LORD LIKE THAT?"_

"_No, Bella,"_ whispered Voldemort, pushing away Bellatrix's wand with his hand. _"You can have your fun later with her. The bravery is admirable I have to say, but such a waste to be a Mudblood."_ He ran a long finger down Lily's face and chin, watching her intently for her reaction. Lily averted his eyes from him, refusing to cringe under his touch.

"_Get away from her!"_ cried James, resuming his struggle against the chains.

Voldemort slowly rotated his head to face James, moving quickly towards the raven haired man. _"Mr. Potter, I believe? I knew your father in fact – an annoying nuisance at the very best. It does annoy me how so many of the wizarding families now have tainted their pureblood heritage with those Mudblood whores."_

"_Look who's talking,"_ hissed Kalissa.

Voldemort finally turned his attention to her. He reared back his head, a terrible, cackling laugh that echoed across the cellar. _"Kalissa, how I very much wanted to see you."_

"_I can't say the feeling's mutual."_

"_Do you know where we are?"_ asked Voldemort, sweeping his hands dramatically across the room.

"_Yes, in fact, I do – torturing me in the celllar of the house I grew up in does strike me as rather arrogant and naïve, even by your standards,"_ said Kalissa.

Natalie exhaled. This room was the cellar of Malkae Manor, the house that she knew Kalissa detested immensely. Natalie noticed with a startle that the blood from the gash on Kalissa's cheek had somehow smeared the chains attached to both of her hands. And the blood also seemed to outline a path along the wall to the points where James' chains attached to the wall. She elbowed Harry, pointing at the path of the blood.

"That is very odd," muttered Harry.

"_I see your wit has not changed all those years, my dear,"_ sneered Voldemort.

"_Not at all though I'm curious as to how you managed to enter the house. There are some extremely powerful wards cast around the manor after all,"_ said Kalissa curiously.

"Surely, it can't be random," whispered Natalie, her eyebrows raised.

"You think it's an escape plan?" murmured Harry, hope filling his eyes.

"Maybe – let's see," answered Natalie. She looked towards the older Kalissa whose eyes were flickering back and forth between the blood on the wall and Voldemort.

"_Your father,"_ answered Voldemort, clearly enjoying the moment. _"Such a generous and kind man to invite us into your house."_

"_Oh, so he's joined your inner circle or whatever the hell you call it, "_ said Kalissa distastefully.

Voldemort's smile widened. _"You see Kalissa, that was the problem I faced. He was promised a place among my closest Death Eaters, but after he'd allowed us entry in this house, I realized that he was still your father – the resemblance is quite striking."_

"_And?"_ asked Kalissa, the defiant tone in her voice faltering.

"_And so I killed him,"_ finished Voldemort, his smile as large as ever. The other three Death Eaters in the room roared in cruel, hideous laughter.

The impassive expression on Kalissa's face vanished. She clenched her fists, her body trembling. _"You are a cowardly bastard."_

Natalie glanced sideways to the older Kalissa whose eyes dropped to the floor, her head bowed. Minerva cast an arm around her, looking sadly at Natalie. With a sharp pang of sorrow, she realized why Kalissa almost never wanted to discuss her parents.

Voldemort leaned over Kalissa. _"I always thought that you hated your family – I was under the impression that I was doing you a favour."_

"_Get the hell away from me!"_ hissed Kalissa through gritted teeth.

"_Sensitive, aren't we?"_ commented Voldemort, his eyes flashing.

Kalissa took a deep breath. Her body stopped convulsing, the wild fury on her face reduced to a very sour, angry scowl. _"You've seen the house then, have you Tom?"_ said Kalissa in a much more civil tone though her fists remained clenched.

"_Yes, I have,"_ said Voldemort, appearing slightly disappointed at the change in attitude.

An arrogant grin spread over your Kalissa's face. _"Much better than your orphanage, isn't it? Have you seen my room – I expect it could contain 20 of the rooms in that orphanage?" _

Blazing, white anger showed on Voldemort's face as the hideous smirk evaporated. _"I'm the one who has the advantage now,"_ hissed Voldemort.

Kalissa turned to Bellatrix with a malicious sneer on her face. _"He hasn't told you that he's a half blood? In fact, you should know that he grew up in an extremely poor Muggle orphanage."_

Voldemort slapped Kalissa across the face. _"You're the one who's in chains, you filthy little blood traitor!"_ shrieked Voldemort, his teeth bared.

Seeing the blank shock on his three Death Eater's faces, his anger aggrandized violently, radiating waves of magic that destroyed the staircase. Natalie instantly moved away as many stones cascaded to the floor near them.

Voldemort stepped away from Kalissa, summoning the knife on the table towards him. _"Let's teach Miss Malkae a lesson. Her two young friends can find out the true meaning of a painful death."_

Rodolphus nodded, leering at Kalissa. He swept his wand over her, causing the chains to disappear. As soon as the chains were loose, Voldemort immediately swiveled his body to face Kalissa, pointing his wand at her. She was hurtled across the room against the opposing wall, crashing into it with brutal force. When Kalissa picked herself from the crash, her face and legs looked absolutely bruised.

Voldemort strode over to Kalissa, the knife in hand. Before he could reach her, though, Kalissa crawled along the wall at a surprisingly fast pace.

Voldemort laughed madly. _"Where are you going? We've only just started, my dear."_

Kalissa gasped in pain when her hand grasped a loose stone in the wall. Natalie narrowed her eyes; Kalissa never gasped in pain.

"_Sadly, I really am not enjoying myself,"_ said Kalissa as she pulled out the loose stone.

Suddenly, the floor under Dorfin vanished, causing him to fall into the subsequent. He screamed in anguish as blood spurted from the hole.

"_Dorfin!"_ screamed Rodolphus.

Faster than she thought possible, Voldemort twisted his body around, firing a Killing Curse at the spot James was chained. However, James had already untangled himself from the chains, narrowly avoiding the jet of green light and diving to the table where the three wands lay, avoiding another Killing Curse shot by a shrieking Bellatrix. He snatched the wands, ducking from Rodolphus' curse before firing spells from all three wands at the pair of Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Bellatrix sidestepped the jets of blue and red light, allowing them to throttle a shocked Rodolphus, knocking him unconscious to the ground. Bellatrix and James started dueling at lighting speed, firing spells that illuminated the dungeon.

As soon as Voldemort's back was turned, Kalissa threw the stone in her hand at the back of Voldemort's head. It struck its target with a solid crack, causing Voldemort to stagger.

"_MALKAE!"_ shouted Voldemort, turning his body around. Kalissa had already moved away from that position with nimble agility, throwing herself at Voldemort's back and hitting him hard with a more jagged stone. A sizeable cut appeared on Voldemort's head, blood oozing out. The knife in his non wand arm dropped to the floor. Kalissa kicked him once more in the groin region, causing a sharp intake of breath from the man.

He blindly pointed his wand backwards, shooting a jet of green light that Kalissa barely dodged. Before he could find her again, Kalissa grabbed the knife and thrust it into his chest. She caught the wand James' threw at her, sidestepping the curse Voldemort fired at her as he fell to the floor.

"_AHHHHHH!"_ screamed Voldemort in anguish, dropping to the floor. His eyes were now glazed over, his mouth wide open. The sickly, purple fluid on the dagger disseminated over his chest, causing his robes to disintegrate and sprouting the growth of severe and painful warts on his chest. Apparently, the dagger rendered him petrified while the searing warts grew over his body.

Kalissa clutched his head, slamming it directly into the ground.

"_MASTER!"_ shrieked Bellatrix, shooting another Killing Curse at a ducking Kalissa while warding off James' spells. Realizing her predicament, Bellatrix summoned Lily to herself before James could reach her.

Kalissa waved her wand in a complex, sweeping motion. Smoke billowed out of her wand in the shape of a giant eagle that wrapped its wings around Bellatrix and Lily. As she tried to ward off the advance of the eagle, Bellatrix temporarily let go of Lily. Kalissa used this moment to cast a banishing charm that sent Lily hurtling towards James who gracefully caught her.

Bellatrix fired another Killing Curse at James and Lily. James, with those expert Quidditch reflexes, rolled out of the way, pulling Lily alongside him as he sent jets of red, blue and white light at Bellatrix. Kalissa also started her onslaught of spells at Bellatrix. She motioned with her eyes for James to join her on that side of the room.

"_Others will come soon!"_ snarled Bellatrix, frantically slashing her wand through the air. _"The Silencing charm can only last for so long."_

"_We won't be here, I trust you for that,"_ said Kalissa, a delighted grin on her face. Winking at Bellatrix, she banished Rodolphus' limp body to a spot directly in front of Bellatrix before firing a Killing Curse at his body.

"_Rodolphus!"_ screamed Bellatrix in terror, pulling him barely out of the way but in the process, stopping her barrage of spells at James and Kalissa. James took advantage of the opportunity, sending a Stunning Spell that struck Bellarix squarely on the chest, careening her into the remains of the staircase.

"_Alright,"_ breathed Kalissa in relief. _"You should have killed her James."_

James shrugged. _"I've never done it before. Where are we going to go?"_

Kalissa smiled at him. _"Follow me. How's Lily doing?"_

James picked up Lily from the pile of rubble he had hid her behind.

"_I'm fine, Kalissa. Honestly James, I can go by myself,"_ said Lily weakly.

"_No, love. I'm here,"_ said James softly, guiding her to the position where Kalissa stood

Kalissa placed her finger onto the gash on her cheek, ensuring that it was smeared with blood before she placed that finger on a triangular shaped stone. Immediately, the stones in that region of the wall disintegrated to reveal a narrow passage

"_Let's go,"_ said Kalissa. "_I think the Silencing charm is wearing off."_ They could hear the frantic movement of footsteps above.

The three of them moved into the hidden passage. As soon as all three entered, Kalissa smeared the triangular rock with her finger. The rocks immediately reappeared, closing off the passage.

Once the passage closed off, the room became very blurry. The older Kalissa nodded. "I think it's time for us to go. The same order as before."

In the same groups, they left the memory, flying through that weightless darkness before they returned to Dumbledore's office.

Once they all had regained their balance, Ron let out a wolf whistle. "HOLY –"

"Language Mr. Weasley," reprimanded Minerva.

"Sorry about that," said Ron, blushing. "But wow, that was blo – amazing."

They all returned to their positions on the two settees. "The blood cut James' chains?" inquired Natalie, looking at Kalissa.

"Yes it did," said Kalissa, smiling. "An old trick of my father's – he felt that if we were ever in trouble, all we needed was our own blood."

"Pretty smart idea," stated Harry, looking immensely relieved. "It saved my parents' lives."

"Yes, my father was a brilliant thinker despite his ideals," agreed Kalissa sadly

Natalie slid over to Kalissa's side, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm sorry," whispered Natalie, rubbing her back.

Kalissa smiled weakly at Natalie. "I don't think I ever had a civil conversation with him, but he was my father. I still don't know why he would let Tom enter the house so easily."

"Voldemort is very persuasive," suggested Harry.

Kalissa sighed. "I suppose so and moreover, my father agreed with Voldemort's desire at the time to purge the wizarding world of all Muggleborns. But he was a careful man nevertheless."

"Do you think that the cup is still in the Lestrange vault then?" asked Natalie, deciding to return the topic back to Horcruxes.

"I've thought it over and I can't see any possible way for it to be taken out of the vault," answered Kalissa slowly. "Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan were in Azkhaban until a year ago and now are Azkhaban escapees – they are the only ones who can open the vault and obviously walking directly into Gringotts is not a safe option."

"And Tom would want to keep a Horcrux in Gringotts," added Dumbledore.

Harry nodded, rubbing his forehead thoughtfully. "Seeing Gringotts would have probably been his first experience in the wizarding world."

"Precisely," assented Dumbledore brightly.

Natalie smiled warmly at Harry. She knew the comment was based on his own experiences upon entering Diagon Alley.

"Then to get the cup, you will have to either persuade the goblins to open the vault using their magic or break into Gringotts?" said Hermione, twirling a strand of hair.

"Persuading the goblins will be very tricky," said Kalissa. "Unlike house elves, goblins are very wary of wizards and witches – even though we have a very legitimate reason to acquire the cup, they will be at the very least extremely reluctant to even consider opening the vault."

"And if you start asking about the vault, it might leak out to Voldemort that you're after the cup," said Harry with a slight frown.

"Harry, breaking into that vault will also alert the goblins," countered Hermione.

Natalie breathed in frustration. "It was a smart idea to hide the Horcrux there because either way, he can almost immediately know if it's gone."

"It is a bit of conundrum – Albus and I have talked about that," said Kalissa.

"And as you may surmise, we've come to the conclusion that we should only go after the Horcrux once we have destroyed all the other Horcruxes except for maybe Nagini," explained Dumbledore.

"Breaking into Gringotts isn't a walk in the park," noted Ron with a rueful smile.

"No it isn't," agreed Minerva. "The goblins have some very severe protections, especially on an ancient vault like the Lestrange vault."

Kalissa exhaled. "I agree with both Ron and Minerva, but Gringotts has already been broken into."

"By Voldemort," stated Harry glumly.

"But it's not impenetrable," said Natalie. "And it's not like we don't have powerful wizards and witches on her side."

"Yeah," said Ron, unabashedly looking at Kalissa and Dumbledore.

"Thank you Ron," said Kalissa, flashing him a disarming smile. "But it's best we focus on finding and destroying the other Horcruxes first and when we have to worry about the cup, we'll make the appropriate plans."

"Anything else in the memory that's important?" asked Natalie, looking at Kalissa expectantly.

Kalissa shook her head. "No. I wanted to let the four of you see the rest of the memory to assure you that we did escape. I am sorry for how distressing it was." She looked apologetically at Natalie and Harry.

Harry smiled grimly. "It's not everyday that I see my girlfriend's mother torture my mother."

Kalissa and Ron laughed heartily while Dumbledore gave an amused smile. Hermione and Minerva bore slightly appalled expressions.

"It was a very disturbing memory though," conceded Natalie, cringing at the way Lily's body had twisted under the Cruciatius curse.

"Yes," said Kalissa. "I was worried about showing the two of you specifically that memory, but it's important that we know where the cup is."

"Brilliant the way you escaped," said Ron, still looking awestruck. "You-Know-Who had no idea what was hitting him when you came with that stone."

"I've never seen curses fired so fast," said Hermione in admiration. "And Harry's father was so fast with his reflexes to dodge all those curses."

Kalissa smiled fondly. "Escaping from Tom like that does still give me quite a bit of satisfaction. Lily was incredibly strong and James – well I've never quite seen Quidditch reflexes like his, though I'm told Harry that you've inherited the talent."

Harry frowned at Kalissa, looking as if a thought had struck him. "You used the Killing curse to distract Bellatrix, didn't you?" said Harry slowly. "And then you –"

"Asked your father why he didn't kill Bellatrix," finished Kalissa. "Of course, I am grateful now that your father did not use the Killing curse for I never would have been blessed with Natalie."

"You used an Unforgivable though," stated Hermione, looking at Kalissa uneasily.

Ron continued to stare at Kalissa in awe while Dumbledore and Minerva had expressions mirroring the look on Hermione's face. Natalie herself rocked nervously on her feet. Though she knew of Kalissa's willingness to use the Killing curse, watching her cast the Killing Curse was far more unpleasant and unnerving than she had anticipated.

Kalissa sighed. "I was afraid this would come up. Yes, I did and I do not apologize for the fact that I tried to kill Rodolphus Lestrange," asserted Kalissa fiercely.

"I have killed many Death Eaters in the past and I will likely continue to do so in the future," continued Kalissa, fixing Hermione and Harry with her most vehement, insistent stare. "Casting the Killing curse is a very unpleasant act, but I'm of the opinion that some people are beyond saving and if it's my life or their life, I will make sure that I am the one to survive. I feel that the most powerful deterrent to becoming a Death Eater is the knowledge that there are others on the opposing side willing to end your life. I know many members of the Order, including your parents, Harry, were extremely reluctant to use the Killing Curse or any Unforgivable for that matter. However, if we are fighting Death Eaters bent on killing us with the most malicious Dark magic, then I have accepted the fact that I will have to resort spells and actions that I would otherwise explicitly condemn."

"If we use Unforgivables, how are we any different than them?" asked Harry, trying to meet Kalissa's firm gaze. Natalie remembered Hermione posing the same question to her in Diagon Alley.

"We are different because of what we're fighting for," answered Natalie calmly. "Kalissa's using the Killing Curse to prevent those Death Eaters from attacking innocent people."

"Still, you're trying to kill another person," stated Harry, raising his hands in frustration. "Isn't that what Crouch tried to do at the end of the first war and it didn't work out too well? I mean, how do you know when to stop?" Natalie raised her eyebrows at Harry, starting to understand his argument.

Dumbledore nodded at Harry. "You are correct, Harry. At the end of the last wizarding war, Barty Crouch did give Aurors the freedom to use the Unforgivables. However, many of the Aurors abused their freedom, casting Unforgivables on many suspects who were innocent as well as on those under the Imperius Curse. On the other hand, I have never known Kalissa to use torture as a means of interrogation."

Kalissa gave Natalie a warm smile. "Thank you my dear and also to you, Albus. Harry, you must not think that I am blindly casting Killing Curses at every Death Eater I see. It's only those who I know are beyond reform and who are definitely not under the Imperius curse. For example, I would not have sent a Killing Curse at a young Death Eater who had just joined their ranks."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "The decision to cast an Unforgivable remains with the individual. Many people simply cannot live with themselves, knowing that they sent such a terrible curse at another person regardless of how deranged and dangerous that person is."

"I have never used an Unforgivable for that very reason," stated Minerva. "Yet my respect for Kalissa does not diminish by even a fraction because she's killed Death Eaters."

"But Harry is saying something slightly different," began Natalie, looking cautiously at Harry who motioned with his eyes for her to continue. "Many people, if they think they can fight Death Eaters with Dark Magic and Unforgivables, will completely abuse the power because of all the paranoia in a war. I mean, take somebody like Stan Shunpike – the Prophet's reported him to be a Death Eater sent to Azkhaban, but he's probably under the Imperius curse. And somebody who's not well connected to the Order will see him as a Death Eater and because they will want to take all precautions to protect their family, Unforgivables will be thrown at a person like Stan."

"Exactly," stated Harry, giving Natalie a small smile.

"Oh, I see now. Well you make a good point, Harry," said Kalissa, her gaze still fixated on Harry. "I do not recommend that the general public fight back with Dark Magic – it's too dangerous as Natalie has accurately explained. But the Order, consisting of morally conscious, trustworthy people who pretty much are aware of who's being used and who's not, should be able to use Unforgivables. At the very worst, it's practical in scenarios when it's either you or the Death Eater who survives. Nevertheless, every person is different. And as such, I do not hold it against anyone if they do not have the desire to cast an Unforgivable."

Harry sighed. "I suppose then you do have a point but they're dangerous curses still. I guess when it's either life or death, you have no choice."

"Have you used the Killing Curse, Professor?" asked Hermione, staring in mild trepidation at Dumbledore.

"Sadly, I have," replied Dumbledore, his expression looking far more weary. "I do not hold as strongly as Kalissa to the viewpoint that we should retaliate with Dark Magic. However, I have found myself in a few instances in the past where I have had to use the curse to save my own life. Although summoning the pure anger and hatred to execute the curse is a horribly dark experience, I do not regret my actions."

"So you've killed," stated Harry darkly, not looking at Dumbledore. His eyes clouded slightly in anger, his fists clenched. Natalie touched her hand to his arm, realizing how unsettling it must be for the man he most admired to essentially be guilty of murder.

"I see the logic," muttered Hermione. "It's just hard to watch in reality. I mean Remus tried to kill Rabastan Lestrange in Knockturn Alley and I still can't get it out of my head."

"Remus?" exclaimed Ron, his eyes almost popping.

"What?" said Harry loudly, staring at Natalie. "He used the Killing Curse? Remus?"

"Yes," said Natalie, meeting Harry's blazing gaze. "Lestrange was trying to kill Tonks and I suppose Remus was extremely angry with Lestrange, but also wanted to protect Tonks."

"Harry," continued Natalie softly. "It's very unsettling – I'm bothered by seeing Kalissa use the curse even though I understand what she's saying. But this is war and people have to do things that they do not like as long as they don't lose sight of what they're fighting for."

"And neither Albus or myself have ever lost sight," said Kalissa firmly.

Harry placed his hand atop Natalie's hand. "You're right, but it's going to bother me for some time."

"It's the same here, mate," agreed Ron. "But what's the Muggle saying – we'll jump that bridge when we get to it."

"Cross the bridge," corrected Harry, laughing.

"Honestly, Ron, who in their right mind jumps a bridge?" asked Natalie.

Natalie noticed Kalissa was looking at Harry and her with a very strange expression on her face.

"Kalissa, you alright there?" said Natalie warily.

"Oh no, everything's fine," replied Kalissa with an excited twinkle in her eyes. "I'm thinking that you and Harry make a very sweet couple."

"I have to agree," said Hermione, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Natalie does seem to know Harry's mood swings better than the rest of us."

"You're making him sound like a hormonal girl," said Ron, snickering.

Harry glared at Ron.

"Ah, young love," mused Dumbledore wistfully.

Harry and Natalie's faces could not have been redder as their hands dropped away from one another.

"There's no need to feel embarrassed," said Minerva, an amused smile on her face. "But as a synopsis of what we have learned, we know what all the Horcruxes are: the diary, ring, locket, Nagini, the cup and the diadem."

"Yes, thank you Minerva for bringing us back to topic," said Dumbledore, beaming at the Transfiguration professor. "And we also are close to knowing the locations of all those objects except for the diadem."

"Once Kalissa gets the picture of the diadem along with the information about all its powers and enchantments, you'll be able to properly try to find it," added Natalie.

"Yes," asserted Kalissa. "We've got most of the information we need – now we just need to make plans to destroy the Horcruxes while making sure Tom remains completely oblivious."

"Once I find out where the locket is, I will alert all of you as soon as possible," said Dumbledore. "Harry, you will certainly be coming with me to destroy that Horcrux. The number of people I take along will depend upon how many Tom will allow past the enchantments he has cast around the Horcrux."

"Really?" asked Harry eagerly.

Minerva frowned at Dumbledore in disapproval. "Surely, Albus, it's a very dangerous endeavor –"

Dumbledore raised his hand to stop her. "I think Harry has earned the right to accompany me and I have full confidence that he is capable enough to handle the danger."

"As do I – Harry needs to see how to destroy the Horcrux," agreed Kalissa. "Though I can't imagine more than two people would be able to get past some of Tom's wards anyway."

Upon seeing the deflated expressions on Ron, Hermione and Natalie's faces, Dumbledore smiled at them in encouragement. "You three will have your time to deal with the Horcruxes."

"There are plenty as it is," noted Kalissa. "It will certainly be a difficult task, much more than one or two people can handle by themselves."

"And it will be impossible to explain the disappearance of half of the Gryffindor sixth years for one evening," said Minerva with a slight scowl. "Surely, your classmates will not find it very believable that I again handed the four of you a detention together."

"Of course, Minerva makes an excellent point," said Dumbledore, clasping his hands upon the desk. "It would be simply impractical for too many people to come with me."

"So then, let's say, the Horcruxes are destroyed without Voldemort knowing so – of course, Nagini and the part of the soul residing in his body will have to be destroyed last," said Natalie, listing the steps in her mind, "After the Horcruxes, that we can obtain without alerting Voldemort basically, are eradicated, then the connection between Harry and Voldemort must be eliminated."

Dumbledore unclasped his hands on the desk, looking at Natalie through one of his most intense, scrutinizing gazes. "You are correct, Natalie, though eliminating the connection is not as easy as it may sound."

"That involves circumstantial magic, doesn't it?" posed Minerva, gazing at Kalissa expectantly.

Natalie, who had her eyes focused on Dumbledore, noticed the smallest traces of a sigh appear on his features. His calm, ebullient smile faltered slightly, the twinkle in his eyes fading.

"That's all the Arithmancy about Harry's mum?" said Ron.

"The situation surrounding Harry's mum at her death – the Arithmancy describing that situation, otherwise known as circumstantial magic, helps to explain the connection between Voldemort and Harry," said Hermione, sounding as if she was reciting a passage from her Charms textbook.

"Yes, Hermione, you are absolutely correct," said Kalissa with a small smile. "Though the Arithmancy is immensely complex and at times, can be considered highly subjective." Natalie noticed her eyes flicker cautiously over to Dumbledore.

Harry, who had been following Natalie's gaze, nudged her. "Er, Professor Dumbledore, what do you think?"

Kalissa blinked at Harry while Natalie looked at him in alarm. She had relayed Kalissa's suspicions about Dumbledore's discontent with the circumstantial magic explanation, but had not expected Harry to be so forward.

"About the circumstantial magic?" said Dumbledore, his eyes boring into Harry's green ones.

"Yes," said Harry nervously.

Dumbledore's gaze lingered on Harry for an extended moment before he smiled in amusement at the intensely curious looks Natalie and Kalissa were sporting. "It is an intriguing and quite possibly a very accurate explanation. I have seen Kalissa's calculations and they certainly seem to adequately explain the connection."

"Oh come on Albus," said Kalissa irritably, crossing her arms against her chest. "I know you don't believe my explanation."

"Why would you believe that, Kalissa?" said Dumbledore in surprise though the smile on his face started to look less cheerful.

"Because I've known for you fifty years and I know when you're not taking something seriously," said Kalissa scathingly, abruptly standing from the settee and beginning to pace around the room.

"Kalissa," began Dumbledore, his expression more grave. "You must not think that I do not value your –"

"Then what about this explanation, Albus?" interrupted Kalissa, her voice rising as she placed both her hands on his desk, staring at him. "You barely paid me attention when I presented my theory and now you want me to believe that I have your full support."

"Kalissa," said Dumbledore with a note of finality that sent shivers down Natalie's spine. Kalissa retreated from the desk, crossing her arms against her chest. "You realize that I trust you more than anyone else. I have been preoccupied with Order dealings in the past few months to give my full attention to the possible reasons for the connection between Harry and Voldemort."

"It doesn't change the fact that you are not convinced that circumstantial magic explains this connection," Kalissa stated defiantly. Natalie marveled at the way she maintained Dumbledore's deep, penetrating gaze.

Dumbledore sighed, his facial expression finally falling. "I confess that I have my doubts about this circumstantial magic explanation."

"What doubts do you have, Albus?" Minerva asked quietly.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "It's not the subjectivity of the calculations as you may have presumed Kalissa, because I have complete faith in your abilities and you, yourself, said that the magical power conveyed by Lily's situation could create the link between Harry and Riddle within a large range of error."

"Then what is it?" asked Kalissa, her tone much softer.

Dumbledore's gaze flickered over all of their curious faces, his eyes thoughtful. "Harry, the connection between you and Tom is unnaturally strong. Although he has blocked his mind from you this year, last year if I recall correctly, not only could you have full, uninhibited access to his thoughts, but you actually shared the emotions he was feeling at the time; whether it be anger or happiness. Moreover, I assume you could feel the actual strength of those emotional reactions?"

"Yes," answered Harry, grimacing. "I remember when the Death Eaters broke out of Azhaban, this wild happiness just seemed to consume me."

"He was cackling like a maniac," noted Ron with a grim smile.

Dumbledore nodded. "And similarly, when Nagini attacked Arthur –"

"It was like I was the one attacking him," said Harry, swallowing. "I could feel that hunger for blood, the desire to kill, exactly how much she was looking forward to sinking her fangs into Mr. Weasley." He shook his head, closing his eyes.

Natalie squeezed Harry's hand. "Nagini has Voldemort's soul, doesn't she? So that wasn't you in the snake; it was him who wanted to kill Ron's dad."

"I don't blame you at all mate," said Ron fervently. "My dad would be dead if you weren't in the mind of that snake."

"Then, Albus, what's your point?" asked Kalissa.

Dumbledore gazed at her with a contemplative expression before speaking. "Circumstantial magic offers a way for a mental and emotional connection to be established and maintained between Harry and Tom for all these years, yet it does not explain the full range of their connection. As Harry has said, he knew the exact strength and sharpness of emotion Tom feels within his own body or as part of the Horcrux within Nagini."

"Ah," said Hermione, leaning forward excitedly. "Arithmancy may be used to define different types of emotions, but it cannot quantify the extent of the emotion."

Natalie's eyes widened at her brown haired friend, also remembering the important detail from one of their assignments.

"Very good, Miss Granger," noted Dumbledore, a glowing expression spreading over his face.

Kalissa let out a heavy breath, returning to her seat on the settee. "I forgot to consider such a possibility," muttered Kalissa, snapping her fingers. Natalie winced as she knew especially with regard to Arithmancy, the woman handled any mistake on her part very seriously.

"You never knew about that part of the link," said Dumbledore sincerely.

"Then why am I able to sense how angry or happy he is?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore clasped his hands upon his desk. "I am not yet sure, Harry though, I have many theories as to the reason."

"Do you care to share any of those theories?" Kalissa asked with a trace of annoyance.

Dumbledore's eyes again wandered over each one of them. "From the last memory, I trust all you of remember Riddle's appearance?"

Natalie shuddered. "How could we not? It was like he had no bones."

"And he had this horribly pale colour," added Hermione, revolted.

"The appearance is due to far too many experiments with Dark Magic and not just the magic involving Horcruxes," Dumbledore explained. "For years after he left Borgin and Burkes, he tinkered and subjected himself to many potions and curses, which have horrible effects on the mental and physical aspects of the human body, in an effort to maximize his immense magical talents and power. With some of these extremely powerful and dangerous curses, the magic of the curse continues to intertwine itself with the victim's magical aura, long after the curse has been cast. Then Tom, who used countless of these curses and potions on himself, eventually mutated his magical aura so that while it still contains the original magical signature he developed as a child, there are also very significant remnants of the Dark Magic he had immersed himself in."

"What does that have to do with the link between him and I?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "As Kalissa has determined, the link was effectively established because of the Arithmancy underlining the context surrounding your mother's death. However, as Riddle is one of the 2 participants of the connection, an unnatural magical aura could also play a part in not establishing the connection but in mutating it."

Kalissa frowned. "I've never heard of something like that, but he had so much Dark Magic within his body and I would not be surprised if his aura could have enough fragments of Dark Magic to morph the connection."

"It's certainly possible," agreed Minerva. "But then, I imagine you would have to look at the Arithmancy underlining the curses he cast on himself."

"Albus, I don't suppose you know the exact spells he used?" said Kalissa.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. The information I was able to procure were from the few survivor of his experiments who by the time I reached them, were completely mad. I imagine he's ensured every witness to his experiments were either sworn to secrecy in his inner circle of Death Eaters or killed."

"Then it would be almost impossible to accurately describe the Arithmancy behind those curses," said Kalissa sourly.

"Do you need to know the Arithmancy to reverse the effects of the Dark Magic on the connection?" asked Hermione.

"Excellent question," stated Dumbledore. "And the answer to that is –"

"No," answered Kalissa, twirling a strand of hair.

"Then how?" asked Natalie in puzzlement.

Kalissa stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I assume you would have to offset the effect of the Dark Magic in him – effectively, weakening him through battle would be the most practical option I imagine."

"Not the easiest of feats," said Minera ruefully.

"No it is not," remarked Dumbledore. "However, we should remember this is still only a theory. I do not have enough evidence to fully say that Tom's own experiments explain why Harry can feel the exact extent of emotion Tom feels."

Harry sighed. "Alright so about this link, we still have to, how do you say it, undo the circumstances around my mother's death so the connection is gone as well as find a way to offset the reason behind my ability to sense how strong he feels something."

"That summarizes our situation quite concisely," noted Dumbledore.

"Wait," said Ron, a confused expression on his face. "With this link or whatever it is, then basically if let's say either Harry or You know who are hit with the Killing Curse, then –"

"Theoretically, neither one of them should die," replied Kalissa. "The connection effectively tethers each one of them to life – once we eliminate the link, Harry still has his protection because of his mother's sacrifice. Any curse Tom sends at Harry then should rebound at him."

Natalie noticed the smallest trace of a frown cross Dumbledore's face, his eyes momentarily clouding into some unreadable emotion. Glancing at Kalissa, she saw her twirling of her hair become more pronounced at the barely discernible change in Dumbledore's expression.

"I thought I explained that to you," said Natalie, frowning at Ron.

"Probably forgot. You know, my memory's not the best," Ron answered sheepishly.

"The connection's a pain, if you ask me," said Harry darkly.

"It definitely is," agreed Kalissa. "If we didn't have that problem, Tom would stand no chance against you."

"Now he has just a fraction of chance," noted Ron, a snide grin on his face.

"Can you be serious?" cried Natalie in exasperation. Ron rolled his eyes at her.

"So to explain that connection, more work has to be done then?" said Hermione, looking at Kalissa and Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid so," said Dumbledore as Kalissa nodded.

"Are we done then tonight?" asked Minerva briskly. "As intriguing as this discussion has been, there are four students in this office well past curfew."

"Blimey, it's one o clock in the morning," exclaimed Ron, looking at his watch.

"I actually don't feel that tired," commented Hermione lightly.

"We should be going, Miss Granger," said Minerva sternly. "I trust that the other students in your dormitories have already started to become very suspicious as to why I have kept the four of you at detention for so late."

"She's right," conceded Natalie, not realizing how tired she was. "If none of us return to our dormitories, I know Parvati and Lavender will have a boatload of questions, at least for Hermione and myself."

"Minerva, you haven't changed as a teacher, have you?" said Kalissa with a smirk.

"Did you honestly expect me to?" said Minera, her lips twitching.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Very well then. I trust that this has been an informative evening – I have certainly enjoyed myself. When I find the location of the locket, I will make sure to inform all of you – Harry, you will be coming with me as I said before."

Natalie turned to Kalissa with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Am I staying with you?"

Kalissa laughed lightly. "Sadly, not this time my dear. Aberforth is away from the Hog's Head and I'd rather not take the risk, especially since we would only have a few hours together given how late it is."

"Oh, I suppose I was expecting too much," mumbled Natalie as she lifted herself from the settee with the others. "Then I'll see you in the summer, then?"

"We'll have much more time together and not just fleeting evenings," said Kalissa, beaming at her.

She drew Natalie into a bone crushing hug, whispering in her ear, "I'm so proud of you. You have such wonderful friends."

Once they pulled apart, Natalie had to glance away, noticing Kalissa's glistening eyes. All it took was one look at Kalissa for Natalie's own eyes to become very wet.

"It was nice meeting you," said Harry warmly. He squeezed Natalie's shoulder, giving her a gentle smile.

"As it was for me. You seem just as wonderful as Natalie says you are," replied Kalissa, wiping away the tears on her cheek. "And I'm glad she has such great friends in Ron and Hermione as well."

"Thanks for showing us the memories," said Hermione earnestly.

"You were amazing," said Ron with a goofy smile.

"Very well. We should be leaving now," said Minerva in her typical business like tone. "Kalissa, I will see you later."

"Oh no, you don't!" cried Kalissa, jumping over to Minerva and pulling her into a very stiff hug.

"Honestly, Kalissa," said Minerva in exasperation though a fond smile curved across her features.

After Minerva managed to extricate herself from Kalissa, she efficiently cast Disillusionment charms upon Ron and Hermione. Following one last desperate hug for Natalie, Kalissa let Harry drape his invisibility cloak over both him and Natalie.

Dumbledore finally stood up from his desk. "I will be escorting Kalissa back to her residence – we will have to be quick Kalissa as I believe I have only loosened the wards to allow for a portkey until two'o clock."

"Thank you Albus," said Kalissa softly. "I'll see the rest of you soon and take care of yourselves. You may be in Hogwarts, but remember there's a war raging outside."

With that resounding statement, the four teenagers and their Transfiguration professor departed the office.

**A/N: How did you like the chapter? I decided to make the locations of all the Horcrues known earlier (still have to find diadem though). And of course, for Dumbledore, we all know what his explanation for Harry and Voldemort's connection is.**


	32. A Contentious Punishment

Chapter 32- A Contentious Punishment

**A/N: Sorry for the long break between chapters! Thanks very much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: all of the support is tremendous and reading those reviews makes my day.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"How long have those Ravenclaws been?" said Natalie in annoyance, looking at her watch. She and Hermione were waiting outside Professor Vector's office to ask a few questions about their most recent Arithmancy essay. With a few days till the final Quidditch match of the season between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor that would decide the cup, Ron's nerves had resurfaced, causing him to dash to the bathroom several times to vomit. Harry had opted to remain in the Common room to finish his Potions essay.

"Terry said they had several questions about the last assignment- apparently, the class marks were quite low," replied Hermione.

Natalie nodded, remembering the difficulty of the assignment. "They probably struggled with those questions that required Muggle calculus."

"I think we were the only two to earn full marks on those questions," pointed Hermione with a fond smile.

Natalie chuckled. "No one else would have thought to look towards the Muggle section in the library."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "You should always explore all options for those type of problems."

"Fully agree with you."

Hermione's eyes narrowed suddenly. "Is that Ron running toward us?"

Natalie swiveled her head to look in the direction Hermione was staring. She recognized the familiar gangly figure and the crop of red hair who was almost sprinting toward them from the distant end of the corridor.

"Why is he running?" said Hermione with a scowl.

"Is there a bathroom around here?" said Natalie, an amused smile on her face.

"No," replied Hermione. "You don't think something's wrong?"

Ron arrived in front of them, panting and his arms swinging wildly.

"What's wrong, Ron?" said Natalie harshly.

"You didn't see Harry?" breathed Ron, animatedly gesturing around the corridor.

"What?" asked Natalie, her stomach taking a steep lurch. She sincerely hoped Hermione was not right, but the frantic expression on Ron's expression indicated otherwise.

"Ron, stop," said Hermione, grabbing his arms and placing them by his side. "What happened?"

"His robes," said Ron, still breathing heavily. "Harry's I mean, they were covered in blood."

"Blood?" said Natalie faintly. Waves of dread and panic rolled through her, dropping her stomach further and further. "Harry's blood?"

"Where is Harry?" asked Hermione anxiously, her voice faltering. She could see Hermione trembling besides her.

Ron paused with a thoughtful expression on his face, plunging Natalie and Hermione into even greater bouts of nervousness. "I don't think it was his blood- he wasn't bleeding."

"Where is he, Ron?" said Natalie through gritted teach, trying to refrain herself from throttling him.

"I'm not sure- he just came into the common room, covered with blood. He wanted my Potions textbook and then he left just like that," answered Ron. "I thought you two would know."

"You didn't think to follow him?" said Natalie. Ron's cryptic answers were straining her nerves severely.

"No, he left so quickly," said Ron defensively. "Where do you reckon he is?"

"Let's try the Hospital wing," Hermione suggested, giving Ron a withering glare. "We'll talk to Vector later.

Natalie nodded. With Ron ahead of her and Hermione behind her, they began running towards the Hospital wing. They took several shortcuts, almost ripping a few outraged tapestries, pushing roughly through little groups of students, not even bothering with the outraged and curious stares they were receiving. Once they finally reached the hospital wing, Natalie looked for a bed with a closed curtain, finding the curtain at the opposing end of the room. Not even caring if Madam Pomfrey was around, she walked as fast as she could to the curtain, tearing it open.

Natalie gasped, stepping backward.

"Bloody hell," said Ron blankly.

"My goodness," whispered Hermione, her hands covering her mouth in shock.

On the bed in front of her, an unconscious Draco Malfoy lay. His shirt had been removed to reveal a bare chest with a sickly pallid, white colour. A thick, multi layered bandage wrapped itself diagonally around him, seeming to reduce his body to an ashen white stick. Natalie covered her nose at the burning, molten smell of blood wafting around them, overcoming the fresh, soapy scent usually hovering in the air. Discarded, tomato red stained bandages were strewn across the table on the bed. With a sinking feeling of understanding, Natalie knew exactly where the blood on Harry's robes came from.

A shrill, piercing voice disrupted the sudden disquiet among the three. "What are you three doing here?" shrieked Madam Pomfrey irately, stepping in front of them and furiously closing the curtains.

"Erm, we just came to see what erm happened," spluttered Natalie.

"This is none of your business," snapped Madam Pomfrey, waving them off.

"I suppose you three want to see Mr. Potter," said a quieter and sharper voice. Minerva stepped out from behind them, joining Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy, I'll handle this lot. You can attend to Mr. Malfoy."

"We h-had no idea Professor what had happened," stammered Hermione, staring at the curtain Madam Pomfrey had moved through to treat Malfoy.

"I am certain you can hazard a guess," said Minerva in an even quieter, more dangerous tone. She looked absolutely livid.

"Harry did that to Malfoy, then?" asked Hermione weakly.

"I'll leave that for Mr. Potter to tell you," replied Minerva in the same low voice.

Another horribly sharp pang of understanding struck Natalie. "What spell did he use?" croaked Natalie, her eyes widening in trepidation.

Hermione stiffened besides her. Ron's mouth dropped slightly as a look of understanding also spread over his face.

Minerva eyed them suspiciously. "It was one of the darkest spells I have seen. The only other people I know to cast that spell are Death Eaters. Now, I am wondering as to where Mr. Potter could have learned such magic?" She fixed her gaze individually on each one of them, demanding an answer. None of them knew what to say, all looking away from Minerva's angry eyes.

At last, Hermione spoke. "Probably from the Death Eaters we saw last year at the Ministry," mumbled Hermione, looking at Minerva.

"Are you certain about that, Miss Granger?" Minerva pressed, staring at her.

"It's the only logical answer," said Natalie as firmly as she could. "You know Harry would never read books about Dark Magic. How else would he have come across such a spell?"

Minerva's eyes flashed towards her, scrutinizing Natalie's neutral expression. "Very well then, I shall accept your answer but I want all of you to make it clear to Mr. Potter that if he uses a spell such as that on another student again, I will have no qualms about expelling him from this school regardless of his identity."

Another shocked silence stretched between them as Minerva's word reverberated in their heads.

"Of course," said Natalie feebly.

Minerva gave a slight nod of the head. "I believe the three of you have class starting in ten minutes."

"Oh no, I actually have a free period this afternoon," said Ron lamely.

Natalie inwardly groaned at the realization she and Hermione had Ancient Runes. She desperately wanted to find Harry and ask him what happened.

Minerva looked as if she wanted to snap at Ron. "Miss Malkae and Miss Granger, I know the 6th year Ancient Runes class is this afternoon. If I find that either one of you is absent, there will be severe ramifications, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Professor," replied Hermione, finally meeting Minerva's gaze.

"And you?" said Minerva, seeming to burn a hole through Natalie's forehead.

"Of course, we will be in class," said Natalie wearily.

"Then go," said Minerva harshly. "Weasley, you can come with me to the Gryffindor common room. I need to have a _talk_ with Potter about his behavior."

The three of them winced simultaneously at the menacing note in Minerva's voice. Natalie could not help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Harry.

Natalie and Hermione, after nodding at Minerva and a very twitchy Ron, left the hospital wing, walking slowly in the direction of Ancient Runes.

"Do you think Harry used one of the Prince's curses?" asked Hermione as they took a shortcut under one of the staircases.

"Must have," muttered Natalie. "Why would he want Ron's book?" With the sudden fear and worry for Harry's safety quickly dissipating, another strong emotion was rising within Natalie. Instead of cutting and biting at her insides like the dread, it bubbled and churned within her, slowly starting to consume her. She knew the emotion all too well though less so with Harry in the past few weeks: anger.

"What do you think Harry's punishment will be?" said Hermione worriedly as they rounded another corner, quickly walking past a group of fourth years that were staring inquisitively at them.

"I daresay he deserves a pretty harsh punishment," said Natalie, letting the anger show in her voice. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's handed detention till the rest of the term. And at least 50 points should be taken from Gryffindor."

"I agree," concurred Hermione, shaking her head. "How many times did we tell him not to use spells from that book?"

"And to stop stalking Malfoy," added Natalie, clenching her fists.

"He doesn't listen," stated Hermione crossly.

"No, he does not," said Natalie, seething. "I just hope I can get through Runes without losing my temper."

Hermione looked at her apprehensively. "Professor McGonagall will be checking Natalie."

"I know we have to attend," said Natalie quietly. "It doesn't mean I like it."

"If it helps, neither do I."

They reached the Ancient Runes classroom, a minute before the lesson started. Walking to their seats in the front right of the classroom, neither acknowledged any of the curious expressions on a few of the other students' faces. Evidently, many students had seen Harry running through the corridors, his robes caked with blood.

Natalie barely paid attention to the lesson; her mind, for once, did not relish the challenge of understanding the new type of Runes the teacher introduced. The image of the pale, limp form of Draco Malfoy kept popping in her mind, quickly accompanied by her own vision of Harry casting the spell that cut Malfoy's chest open. She remembered every conversation she had with Harry about the Prince; every comment she made about the danger of using curses with unknown affects. And then, there was the issue of Malfoy. Harry had obviously decided to check upon Malfoy once Ron left to the bathroom. She did not know what Malfoy had done to start the duel but Harry should have stopped obsessing about Malfoy a long time ago. She and Hermione repeatedly told him. He just chose not to hear them until it was too late.

After an excruciating long class of her blankly copying the runes on the board while letting her anger build and layer on itself, the clock finally chimed. Hermione and Natalie almost sprinted out of the class, making a beeline for the Gryffindor Common room. They traversed through the crowd heading for the Great Hall, taking as many hidden passageways as possible to reach the Gryffindor tower.

Natalie snapped the password at an indignant Fat Lady, stepping over the threshold. Most of Gryffindor house seemed to have headed for supper though in the corner by the fireplace, Harry sat with Ron and the rest of the Quidditch team. Judging by all the stony expressions, Natalie surmised that his punishment had something to do with the upcoming game; most likely a suspension.

To Natalie's intense displeasure, Ginny was the first to notice Natalie and Hermione enter the portrait hole.

"Harry, what were you thinking?" exclaimed Hermione furiously once they had reached the group.

Harry stared at the two of them with a resigned somberness that in any other circumstance, would have aroused a strong undercurrent of sympathy within Natalie.

"Hermione, don't," cautioned Ginny, moving closer to Harry on her spot on the settee.

Natalie forced herself to breath slowly, earning strange looks from the other members of the team. She first had to make sure nothing happened to Harry. "Malfoy didn't hurt you Harry, did he?"

Harry gave her a relieved smile. "No, he did not."

"But you got him pretty bad," snapped Natalie. The look of relief flickering across Harry's face unshackled the anger within her; she now knew it was only a matter of time before she lost control.

"Can we talk about this in a more private place?" said Harry, looking hesitantly at Natalie.

"Let's go to your dormitory," said Natalie, her voice trembling.

Harry nodded. He glanced apologetically at the rest of the Quidditch team. "I'm sorry for what's happened. So as I said before, Ginny will be moving to Seeker and Dean will be our new Chaser. I'll tell him later tonight."

The others gave him small smiles before he, Ginny and Ron stood up from their positions on the armchair and settee. Natalie raised her eyebrows at Ginny who stared defiantly at her. Together with Hermione and Natalie, the five of them walked upstairs to the boys' 6th year dormitory which was empty; the other three inhabitants were most likely at supper.

Hermione and Natalie cast the appropriate Silencing charms. Natalie refrained from casting "Muffliato", not wanting to give the Prince any sort of credit.

"What happened, Harry?" asked Hermione in a softer, slightly inviting tone as she lowered herself onto Ron's bed alongside Ron. Natalie dropped onto Dean's bed, not wanting to sit with Harry. She almost regretted the decision when Ginny plopped down next to Harry.

"Um, well-

"Harry, just tell us," stated Natalie sharply.

A trace of irritation crept into Harry's eyes. "Fine, then. I was walking along the seventh floor corridor-

"What wee you doing there?" interrupted Hermione.

"Checking if Malfoy would come out of the Room of the Requirement," Natalie answered for Harry, shooting him a withering glare.

"Will you two please let him finish the story?" said Ron loudly, the familiar red tingeing his ears.

"Thanks, Ron," croaked Harry. He cleared his throat, looking gloomily at a point above Dean's bed. "I had the map with me and I saw that Malfoy was with Moaning Myrtle in her bathroom. It seemed very strange-I went to the bathroom… well, I found him crying with Myrtle consoling him. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible but Malfoy noticed me. He was extremely angry. He tried to cast the Cruciatus curse-

"The Cruciatus curse?" Natalie cried in in outrage. Her growing anger was momentarily abated by the thought of Malfoy attempting to use an Unforgivable curse on another student.

Harry lowered his eyes to look at her furious expression. "Yes, but before he could, I sent the Sectumsempra at him. And then everything happened so fast; he was bleeding all over the place, Myrtle was crying and Snape came in. He was livid, wanted to know where I learned the curse and to bring him the book from which I learned the curse. Of course, then I just bolted out of there, trying to find Ron to-

"Exchange books," finished Hermione, her scowl widening. "Where is your book?"

Harry heaved a burdensome sigh. "In the Room of Requirement-some place where you can apparently leave stuff you don't want found."

Natalie swallowed several times, attempting to calm herself. Harry seemed genuinely apologetic, but nevertheless, she could not just shake off the increasingly infuriating sensation that he had never seriously taken her warnings about the obsession with Malfoy. The way he described his detour onto the seventh floor, it seemed like a daily occurrence. Not to mention his complete disregard towards her and Hermione's frequent cautions about the Prince.

"What was the punishment?" asked Hermione, glancing uneasily at Natalie's rigid expression and crossed arms.

Harry also cast Natalie a weary glance, giving her a small smile which did nothing to quell the blazing anger tearing and pushing at her insides, promising to spill over.

"Detention every Saturday till the end of the term and 50 points from Gryffindor. I won't be able to attend the match on Saturday- Snape seemed to enjoy rubbing that in quite a bit," said Harry, bitterness lacing his voice.

Natalie gritted her teeth at the distinct sourness in Harry's tone. "You don't honestly think the punishment is unfair?" said Natalie, trying to keep her voice as level as possible.

Harry looked at her apprehensively. His mouth opened but before he could speak, Ron cut him off. "Snape didn't need to make sure Harry missed the match. That was more about sabotaging Gryffindor's chances."

"Ron, how can you say that?" snapped Hermione, jerking her body to face the boy next to her.

But before Hermione could reprimand Ron further, Natalie lifted herself from the bed. Ron's comment sent her over the edge. An irrepressible urge overcome her to make her feelings a clear as possible to Harry regardless of what he thought.

"Harry deserves all that punishment and more," said Natalie venomously, pacing around the room. "Frankly, the only reason you're not expelled Harry is because of who you are."

"You don't think McGonagall and Snape told me that?" cried Harry, his face turning red. He also jerked himself up from the bed.

"I'm glad they did," retorted Natalie, clenching her fists. "You seem more worried about a stupid Quidditch match than the fact that you almost killed a student today! If that curse hit him in the neck he'd be dead."

Harry raised his hands at her. "I saw him bleeding, Natalie! You don't think that crossed my mind?"

"In fact," continued Natalie, ignoring Harry and glaring at the shocked and angry expressions on Ron and Ginny's faces. "I'd wager to say that if it had been Malfoy throwing that curse at you, he'd be expelled in an instant."

"Oh so, now Malfoy is so innocent, now isn't he?" hissed Harry, his eyes wide and bright.

"Bloody hell Harry," cried Natalie. "You're still going on about whatever damn assignment he has from Voldemort. He was crying in the bathroom. CRYING for heaven's sake Harry! For the last time, he wasn't up to anything."

"You don't seem to care that he tried to use the Cruciatus curse on Harry?" said Ginny, a blazing glare on her face.

"Of course, I give a damn," spat Natalie. "I'm happy that nothing happened to Harry, but that doesn't change what he did."

"And what did I do?" asked Harry in mock wonder.

"You used that stupid spell which the Prince specifically marked for enemies," exclaimed Natalie vehemently, stamping her foot on the ground. "If that doesn't tell you he's an evil git-

"I don't need a bloody lecture about the book," said Harry ostentatiously.

"Harry, there is something wrong about the book," said Hermione firmly.

"No, there isn't!" exclaimed Harry, waving his wands wildly. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him.

"You're bloody delusional," hissed Natalie, losing all control and now not caring what she said. "Of course, there can't be anything wrong with whatever Harry Potter likes."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" hollered Harry, his face contorted in rage.

"You don't take anyone else seriously!" shouted Natalie. "It's always you and your bloody instincts."

"You haven't known me long enough to say that," said Harry, his voice suddenly low and dangerous. "Those bloody instincts have saved my life countless times."

The comment cut through Natalie like an icy knife. The first phrase echoed in her head, stinging and hurting her immensely.

"Harry, that was completely uncalled for," said Hermione severely. "Both of you need to stop because you're going to say things you cannot take back."

"Oh no, Hermione, we're not going to stop because he needs to learn," said Natalie savagely, stepping towards Harry.

"Learn what?" asked Harry malevolently.

"How many times did we all tell you, including Ron, to stop obsessing about Malfoy? How many times Harry? And you still ignore us. And the Prince… it's always whatever the hell you want to do, you do."

"I didn't know you were some sort of moral authority," spat Harry.

Natalie desperately wanted to slap him hard across the face. "You know what? Maybe someone has to die for you to take the time to listen to other people."

Natalie regretted the statement as soon as she uttered it. The words just slipped out of her mouth, her mind barely realizing the significance of those words. She could almost see the phrase unravel across the room, its implication dropping like a heavy weight. A frightening enmity gripped the air, dislodging the venomous fury between her and Harry.

Ron and Ginny stood up, walking behind Harry. Their gazes seared into Natalie. She could imagine all the anger within the room channeled onto her. Hermione remained on Ron's bed, her mouth wide open and looking at Natalie with an unreadable expression on her face.

Harry's facial expression straightened, the muscles in his neck tautened and his eyes gleamed with an intensity that caused Natalie to step backward.

"Is that how you view me, Natalie?" said Harry quietly, a pained note ringing in his voice.

"I never meant to bring that up," said Natalie, her eyes widening. "Honestly Harry, this has nothing to do with the Department of Mysteries."

"You were never there," stated Harry icily, his words cutting into her. "You wouldn't understand, would you?"

"You have no bloody right to say that to Harry," said Ginny menacingly.

At the sight of the red haired girl defending Harry, Natalie's temper re-ignited. "I don't need you telling me what to do. Why the hell are you here anyway?"

"Don't talk to her like that," growled Ron.

"I'll take a bloody shot at whoever I damn want!" shrieked Natalie, waving her finger madly at Ron.

"I knew you and Hermione would give Harry hell for something he already feels bad for," spat Ginny.

Natalie scratched in feigned thought. "I'm sure there must be another reason why you're here…"

"Stop it!" shouted Harry, stepping in front of Ginny. "Leave her alone, Natalie. I wanted her here and that's it."

Natalie blinked at him. All of her resentment for the girl instantly evacuated her as if Harry's words formed a vacuum.

"Harry," began Hermione weakly, finally standing up. She gazed cautiously at Natalie before continuing. "Natalie didn't mean what she said. Both of you just need to step away from each other and take some time to calm down."

Natalie gave Hermione a grateful smile. "I never meant that you were responsible, Harry," said Natalie, looking pleadingly at him. She tried to catch his gaze which was resolutely turned away from her. "It was all Voldemort and my mo- Bellatrix's fault."

"Why would you say that, then?" asked Harry coolly. "You should be happy to know that I do believe Sirius' death was my fault. I didn't listen and it cost me his life."

Natalie desperately wanted to hold him in his arms. But it was her words, her foolishness, her temper that was the reason for the agonizing grimace on his face, the somber clouding of his eyes and the thickening lines on his face, making him look much older than 16. The familiar sharp sensation of a knife plunging through her rendered her silent. The guilt once again arrived in full force, scorching her chest as she waited for Harry to burn the fire even more.

"It's what you wanted to say, isn't it?" said Harry darkly. "I hope it feels relieving to finally get it off your chest."

Then he turned on his heel, exiting the dormitory.

"Unbelievable," muttered Ginny, staring at Natalie in disgust.

"Stop it Ginny," said Hermione, scowling at Ginny. "You can see she feels bad for what she said."

Ginny turned to look at Hermione in astonishment. "You know, Hermione, I honestly thought better of you. You've known her for 8 months and Harry for 6 years and you're defending her?"

Hermione swallowed, her eyes reddening. Natalie was about to utter another furious retort at Ginny before Ron stepped forward, casting his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Leave Hermione alone," growled Ron.

"Whose side are you on?" said Ginny fiercely, glaring at her brother.

"Don't say those things to Hermione. She's always there for Harry," said Ron coldly.

Ginny looked as if she wanted to reply to Ron, but she shook her head at him in disdain, also leaving the dormitory.

Natalie dropped back onto Dean's bed, staring sullenly at the open door. "I'm sorry for what I said. It was terrible."

"Yes it was," stated Hermione, letting her disapproval show. "You hurt him."

Ron glared at Natalie. "You need to watch your mouth. And please don't talk to my sister the way you did now."

"I'm sorry about what I said to Ginny-she just riles me up," said Natalie, knowing that she should not have let Ginny's remarks spark her temper. "I really did not mean what I said about Harry. It never crossed my mind what I was implicating."

"I believe you," said Hermione calmly. "But it doesn't change the fact that you made the comment. And Harry said some hurtful things about you too. Unfortunately, neither of you can take back your comments."

"You know Harry feels guilty for Sirius," said Ron, his eyes still fastened on her. "We never bring that up with him, never."

"I know," said Natalie feebly. "I am such an idiot! It was the absolute worst thing to say. Harry probably hates me for it now."

There was a long pause in which all of them stared blankly around the room. Natalie could not get rid of the terrible, sinking feeling that her ridiculous temper had crossed a boundary she could not climb back over.

"He won't," said Ron slowly, staring at Natalie with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Won't what?" Natalie asked tiredly.

"He won't hate you," replied Ron, visibly struggling for words. "He'll be absolutely pissed but I don't think he can hate you."

Hermione smiled warmly at Ron, placing her hand on his leg. "Ron's right. Harry's feelings for you are too strong."

"And I'm sure Harry feels bad about the comments he made to you," added Hermione knowingly. "You both need to calm down first and then have a long talk with each other."

"Let me know when you're having that chat," remarked Ron, a wry smile breaking across his face. "I don't want to be in the middle of another war. Blimey, you two make Hermione and I look like schoolchildren."

Natalie grimaced. "I hate these fights. They're just so exhausting."

"You should eat something and go to sleep," Hermione suggested kindly.

"Not on Dean's bed," blurted Ron. "We definitely don't want Harry getting that type of idea."

Natalie laughed. "No, I'll go back to my dormitory. I'm really not that hungry after everything. Thanks you two- somehow you cheered me up a bit though I don't know how I'm going to talk to Harry."

"It will work out," said Hermione firmly.

"I hope," muttered Natalie. "Good night." She walked out of the dormitory, heading down the boys' staircase. She quickly stepped through the common room onto the girls' staircase, ignoring the smug smirks on the faces of many of the fourth and fifth year girls. Hoping that she did not run into Ginny, Natalie leapt up the staircase, arriving at the dormitory. She entered in dismay to find Parvati and Lavender talking to each other from their beds. They both abruptly stopped speaking once she stepped into the room.

"I suppose you two heard then," said Natalie acidly.

"We saw Harry coming through the portrait hole with Ginny. They did not look happy," answered Parvati, watching Natalie intently.

"I expect they wouldn't," muttered Natalie, her stomach taking an unpleasant dive at the thought of Harry and Ginny together.

"I'd rather not talk about it either," added Natalie, giving both Parvati and Lavender severe looks.

Lavender rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We didn't think you would." Lavender's stance towards Natalie had not softened since her falling out with Ron.

"What were you saying, Lav?" asked Parvati, resuming their conversation.

Natalie dropped onto her bed, drawing the hangings around her.

"Oh, I was talking about Harry. It's all so terribly unfair," cooed Lavender.

Natalie rolled her eyes. Despite her remark to Harry, she still believed he deserved the punishment Snape had given him.

"I mean," continued Lavender. "How does Malfoy not get detention?"

"Poor Harry," agreed Parvati. "Apparently, he tried to use a very dark-

"What?" exclaimed Natalie, opening her hangings hastily.

"Sorry, I thought you didn't want to talk to us," said Lavender airily.

"What were you saying about Malfoy?" asked Natalie.

Lavender tossed her hair dramatically. "I don't really see why I should tell you."

"Lav, stop it," chided Parvati. She turned to Natalie. "Malfoy didn't receive any punishment for what happened- no points taken away and no detention."

"Nothing at all?" said Natalie, her voice rising. She had assumed that since he had tried to use the Cruciatus curse on Harry, he had also received a harsh punishment. Even if the curse did not hit Harry, the intention was pretty clear.

"Did he really try to use a Dark curse on Harry?" asked Lavender, looking at Natalie curiously. "Oooh, maybe it was an Unforgivable!"

"It was just a simple curse that he tried to cast," lied Natalie. "Who told you about Malfoy not getting detention?"

"Ginny," answered Parvati, frowning. "She seemed pretty angry about it too- are you sure the curse Malfoy tried wasn't Dark?"

"Yes," said Natalie evenly. "Thank you anyway Parvati- I didn't know about Snape not punishing Malfoy."

As she returned to her bed to pick out pajamas from her drawer, she heard Parvati say, "Well, would you expect anything less from Snape?"

Natalie chuckled, taking her pajamas to the bathroom with her. "No I would not."

While she brushed her teeth and took a long, hot shower, Natalie decided Parvati must have been correct as she did not think Ginny would lie about such a thing. It was not entirely unexpected, given Snape's extreme grudge towards Harry and his blatant favoritism of Malfoy.

At the thought of Malfoy remaining free from reprimand, Natalie's insides seethed in anger. A rush of sympathy for Harry ran through her. She could not help but feel very annoyed at herself for so harshly attacking Harry about the fairness of his punishment when he did have legitimate grounds to feel bitter. The unfair treatment evoked a strong, desperate and familiar desire to protect Harry, ensure he was not wronged and punish Malfoy for wanting to harm him. Natalie resolved that tomorrow, she would confront Snape and Minerva to ensure Malfoy also received detention.

Once Natalie finished her shower, changed and returned to her bed, she drew the hangings, grateful that she was the only one in the room. Parvati and Lavender must have gone down to the Common room in an attempt to wheedle out more information about her fight with Harry. Hermione was still with Ron, likely marveling at his newfound sensitivity towards others or perhaps, trying to console an irate Harry.

Harry. Natalie swallowed, her throat constricting and her mind seeming to narrow. There was no way he would not be absolutely livid with her tomorrow. The guilt clawed at her insides with a persistent, stinging edge. Her mind kept conjuring the defeated image of his face when he spoke of accepting the blame for Sirius' death. She needed to learn to reign in her temper. Her comment was not only extremely serious but well placed, touching on all of Harry's sensitive spots and playing on his biggest insecurity; the guilt he endured for placing all of his friends in danger.

Harry's statement to her suddenly rang clear in her head. She could not help but feel that he may have made a valid point. Did she really understand him if she was insensitive enough to make such a comment? She had known him for less than a year so there was not the same foundation of memories and experiences he shared with the others, including Ginny, for her to confidently to say that she knew him thoroughly. The possibility of being completely wrong about Harry throttled her, ripping open her perspective. A terrifying sense of vulnerability gripped her tightly. Panic and dread squeezed her, twisting her thoughts, pressing the slightest sliver of doubt into her memories involving Harry.

No. Natalie shook her head vehemently. She was losing control again, falling into that relentless of spiral of self deprecation. As Hermione said, both she and Harry had unleashed themselves at one another. They uttered words they could not reel back in. One argument could not snap a seven month string of wonderfully intimate moments and interactions. She understood Harry. She could think all day about him, not feeling tired. He knew her better than anyone else besides Kalissa; this she could not deny to herself. They had been in a relationship for almost three months now. She gritted her teeth, physically trying to push off and resist the strangling sensation of vulnerability. Harry would not leave and she would never leave him.

Natalie let her breathing becoming slower and much more even. She began to see the impulsiveness and ridiculous nature of her worries though a noticeable twinge of unease remained, creating knots in her stomach. She simply needed to close her eyes, let all her thoughts and worries dissipate. Her exhaustion began to envelop her, her mind moving much more slowly, all the images of Harry blurring.

**A/N: How did you guys like this chapter?**


	33. A Convenient Detention

Chapter 33- A Convenient Detention

**A/N: Thanks very much for the reviews of the last chapter! All the support is tremendous. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The next morning, Natalie awoke earlier than usual, feeling very energetic. Thankfully, the early sleep reinvigorated her, clearing her thoughts. She knew what she needed to do. After another long, shower, she dressed into her uniform, heading into the empty common room to wait for Hermione, Ron and possibly Harry.

She read ahead in her Transfiguration textbook for about half an hour before Hermione came down the staircase, plopping down on the armchair besides her.

"Awfully early, you woke up," said Hermione, rubbing her eyes.

"I went to sleep," said Natalie pointedly. "How was last night? What did Ron and you get up to?"

"Oh, it was nice I suppose," answered Hermione, unable to keep a blush from spreading across her cheeks.

"What happened?" asked Natalie sharply.

Hermione turned her eyes from Natalie. "You must have heard from the others. It was a bit awkward and slightly uncomfortable-

"What?" exclaimed Natalie, an aghast expression on her face.

Hermione looked in confusion at Natalie. "Why do you look so shocked?"

Natalie shook her head. "Hermione, I went to sleep early last night- nobody told me anything. What happened? You two didn't-

"No," said Hermione abruptly, the outlines of a sigh appearing on her face.

Natalie raised her eyebrows at Hermione. "Um, Hermione, are we talking about the same thing?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her. "We didn't kiss, if that is what you were asking," said Hermione slowly.

"Oh," said Natalie, suddenly feeling like an idiot.

"What were you thinking?" asked Hermione sharply.

Natalie clasped her fingers nervously. "You know, just strange thoughts."

Comprehension spread across Hermione's face. "Ron and I would never rush into things like that."

"I know," muttered Natalie, looking away from Hermione's indignant glare. "My mind's been off a bit I suppose."

Natalie turned her head to look curiously at Hermione, still noticing a pink colour on her cheeks. "Why did you blush then?"

"Um-m," stuttered Hermione, the blush reappearing. "We ended up talking for some time. We were so tired so we just um fell asleep together on-

"Ron's bed," finished Natalie, a smirk starting to form on her face. "And that's why you thought I knew. I bet his dormmates are having a ball with that."

Hermione cringed. "They all saw. Neville was kind enough to awaken us though."

Natalie laughed. "My goodness, wait till Lavender hears this. Maybe you should stay in the boys' dormitory tonight again. I'm sure Ron wouldn't mind."

"He was pretty nice about it," said Hermione, a pleased look on her flushed face. "He didn't seem to mind at all and we talked about so many things. He was really sorry about what Ginny said to me."

"He probably wanted to hex Neville for waking the two of you," teased Natalie. "But I told you Ron's much more sensitive than you think."

"Yes," said Hermione with a fond smile.

"Speak of the devil," muttered Natalie, motioning her head to the staircase. A very sleepy Ron was stumbling towards them with an apologetic expression on his face.

"Natalie, Hermione," greeted Ron, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Long night?" asked Natalie amusedly though her eyes could not help but wander to the staircase, looking for Harry.

"Oh, so you heard," stated Ron in annoyance. "Seamus and Dean have already taken the mickey out of me."

"I imagine they would," noted Natalie, her eyes fixed on the stairs. "Is Harry still there?"

Ron ran a hand through his hair, shuffling on his feet. "Um, he said he wasn't that hungry but he'll see us in Charms."

"Oh," said Natalie, her spirits dropping. She expected him to be distant with her, but the actual act nonetheless stung. "Hopefully, he'll be more receptive then."

"You need to talk with him," Hermione said sternly.

"Yes," mumbled Ron, yawning. "Shall we go then? I'm starving."

She and Hermione stood up from the settee, slinging their bags over their backs. Natalie glared at a few third year girls looking at her with smug expressions before they walked across the common room, stepping through the portrait hole.

As they made their way to the Great Hall, Hermione frowned at Ron. "Don't you have Friday mornings off?"

"And so does Harry," said Natalie, gazing at him in puzzlement. "Why would you get up so early? You usually choose to sleep in no matter how hungry you are."

Ron shrugged his shoulders though he looked embarrassed. "I was really hungry."

"Really?" said Natalie skeptically.

"Alright, fine," said Ron irritably. "I wanted to see how Hermione was doing. Apparently, Seamus and Dean mentioned to Parvati last night about Hermione being in our room so I wanted to make sure Lavender didn't come up to Hermione during breakfast."

"Oh Ron, you really didn't have to," said Hermione, looking as if she could kiss him right there.

Natalie tried to look the other way as Hermione gave Ron a half hug, wringing her arm through his arm

"It's very sweet, Ron," said Natalie once they had pulled apart.

"Ah, well, Lavender can get herself in a right state," said Ron happily, his chest puffed out and his face glowing. Natalie noticed that their arms remained intertwined.

Once they resumed their walk to the Great Hall, Natalie moved ahead of the other two, letting them enjoy the close contact and companionable silence. Since his breakup with Lavender, Ron and Hermione were displaying a much greater ease and affection in one another's presence. Their blushes were less pronounced, the awkward pauses much shorter and the averted gazes almost non-existent. Several moments, she found them catching each other's eyes, holding gazes for an extra second, sliding their hands together when they thought nobody was watching, and leaning against each other while Hermione read or Ron was playing chess. Natalie smiled to herself, thinking it was only a matter of time before they started letting their desires take control instead of hesitantly guiding themselves closer to one another.

They arrived at breakfast to find each table about half filled. Natalie looked up to the staff table, hoping to find Snape or at least Minerva, but neither of the two were there. She sighed. She would check Snape's office after breakfast and then likely the staff room which was relatively close to his office.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Natalie as they lowered themselves onto a bench at the end of the Gryffindor table closer to the staff table.

"I was telling Ron about my trip to France with my parents after third year," said Hermione brightly.

"We were talking about it last night," Ron explained, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Before you fell asleep," noted Natalie, winking at them. "By the way, Lavender and Parvati just arrived."

The two girls sat on the opposite end of the table with Lavender glaring daggers at Ron and Hermione.

"Keep your wand ready Hermione," said Natalie, biting back a laugh. "She means business."

"Honestly," muttered Hermione, buttering a slice of toast.

"It's not that funny," said Ron casually, dishing two eggs and a large heaping of sausages onto his plate. Natalie noticed him position his back so that he shielded Hermione from Lavender.

"Maybe not to you," said Natalie, grinning. "You know, Lavender's not going to try to hex Hermione in the middle of the breakfast with teachers around."

"Natalie, can you just keep quiet?" said Hermione dispassionately, smiling at Ron.

"Bill reckons he wants to live in France eventually with Fleur," said Ron, waving off Natalie with his free hand.

"I don't blame him," said Hermione dreamily.

Natalie poured herself a cup of coffee, dishing some scrambled eggs onto her plate. Not bothering to join in the excited conversation across from her, she considered how she would convince or more likely, force Snape to punish Malfoy. She did not think Snape would budge much, but a few penetrating and revealing remarks might change his attitude. And if he refused to listen to her which seemed a distinct possibility, she could always go to Minerva.

After she quickly ate her eggs and drank her coffee, Natalie lifted herself from the bench. "I'm going to see McGonagall to see if there's a letter for me," said Natalie quietly. She did not want to tell Hermione or Ron yet about confronting Snape for Hermione would chastise her and Ron might offer to come. His presence would definitely annoy Snape further.

Ron nodded, his gaze remaining fixated on Hermione. "I'll see you in Charms."

Hermione's eyes flickered to Natalie in concern. "Remember about-

"Harry," completed Natalie tiredly. "Yes Hermione, I know. I'll see you in Arithmancy."

Giving Hermione a mischievous grin, she exited the Great Hall, walking quickly towards Snape's office. She knocked on the door resolutely a few times, waiting with her arms crossed for him to open the door. After deciding that he may not be in the office, she moved to the staff room nearby.

When she knocked on that door, a curious Professor Sprout opened the door. "Miss Malkae, why are you here?"

"Good morning, Professor. Is Professor Snape here?" said Natalie politely, trying to look past Sprout.

Sprout nodded, narrowing her eyes at her. "Severus, there is a student who wants to talk to you."

Snape suddenly appeared into view. The image of an oversized bat filled Natalie's head.

"Miss Malkae," drawled Snape, his eyes resting on her as he stepped outside into the corridor, closing the door to the staff room. "What do you want?"

Natalie composed herself, taking a deep breath. "About what happened to Draco Malfoy yesterday," began Natalie. "I believe-

"Has Potter sent you?" scowled Snape. "To protest against the unjust punishment inflicted upon him? To lament about Gryffindor's lowly chances in the Quidditch cup? Then I believe you are wasting your precious time. Unlike every other teacher in this school, I do not bow to the _Chosen One's_ demands."

Natalie 's expression remained impassive. She had anticipated the biting sarcasm and harsh tone. "Actually no, he does not know," stated Natalie coolly. "I happen to agree with the punishment you assigned him. Harry deserves to miss the Quidditch match tomorrow."

Snape looked momentarily taken aback at Natalie's declaration before he rapidly composed himself, his eyes flashing. "Miss Malkae, I do not take well to flattery."

"I would not try to flatter you," said Natalie, staring into Snape's black eyes. "The reason I wanted to talk to you is that before Harry cursed Malfoy, Malfoy tried to use the Cruciatus curse on him. And yet Malfoy remains unpunished. Do you not think this is unfair?"

Snape sneered at her. "Obviously, Potter has fed you some story about how he was the victim in this case when it is Mr. Malfoy's blood that was spread all over the girl's bathroom."

"So you weren't aware?" asked Natalie innocently.

"Please do not play this game with me," snapped Snape.

"It was merely a question," said Natalie with a shrug. "But if you do not believe me, we can always ask Moaning Myrtle, can we not?"

"Thirty points from Gryffindor!" said Snape angrily. "I will not take such cheek. Unless you want a detention, I suggest you head off to class immediately."

"Malfoy's a Death Eater, Professor and you know it," said Natalie sharply.

"How dare you make such an accusation?" hissed Snape, his face twisted into an furious sneer. "Another twenty points from Gryffindor."

"His left arm was conveniently covered when we saw him in the hospital wing," said Natalie vehemently, not backing down. "I'm willing to bet a few galleons that he was quickly moved to the Slytherin dormitories so that Madam Pomfrey would not see."

"If we told another Professor or let's say an Auror," continued Natalie, coldly staring at Snape. "that Malfoy is a Death Eater who tried to use an Unforgivable on another student, he would be sent straight to Azkhaban."

"As should Potter after the curse I saw him use," said Snape in a deadly, low voice.

"But even if the Ministry knew what Harry did, they wouldn't send him there because they do bow down to the demands of the _Chosen One_," said Natalie calmly. "It's wrong but the reality is no one would hesitate in sending Malfoy to Azkhaban if they knew what he did."

"Do not make threats to me! This is absolutely disgraceful behavior," spat Snape venomously. "You will be joining your boyfriend for detention on Saturday. And another forty points from Gryffindor. I will be taking you to the Headmaster."

"No, you will not," retorted Natalie. "Or I will make sure I tell the other Professors. Maybe the curse didn't hit Harry but Malfoy deserves detention as well."

"Miss Malkae, what is happening here?" said a familiarly sharp, severe voice. "Why did Professor Snape try to grab you? And why are you speaking to him in such a raised voice?"

Natalie breathed in relief. If Snape took her to Dumbledore, she feared the Headmaster would be very reluctant to overrule one of the most trusted and important members of the Order, simply to ensure a fair assignment of punishments occurred.

"Ah, Minerva," drawled Snape, fixing his eyes on the Transfiguration Professor. "I have had the displeasure to deal with threats from allegedly one of your brightest and best students."

"Is this true?" said Minerva, stepping forward to stare in disapproval at Natalie.

"I never threatened you at all!" exclaimed Natalie. "I just complained that you punished Harry for using a Dark Curse but you never even thought to reprimand Malfoy for attempting to cast the Cruciatus curse on Harry."

"Miss Malkae, you cannot talk to a teacher like that. Ten points from Gryffindor," admonished Minerva. She turned to Snape with a noticeable frown. "Is this true, Severus, about Mr. Malfoy trying to use an Unforgivable on another student?'

"It's utter nonsense," leered Snape, glaring at Natalie.

"Why would have Harry resorted to such a curse?" said Natalie defensively. "We can ask Moaning Myrtle. She was a witness there."

"Please watch your tone, Miss Malkae," said Minerva sternly. "Mr. Potter told you that Mr. Malfoy attempted to cast the Cruciatus?"

"Yes," said Natalie, raising her eyebrows. Surely, Minerva would at least give her a chance to explain herself. "We can go to Moaning Myrtle right now."

"And Severus, have you spoken to Myrtle about the duel?" asked Minerva, looking curiously at the somber looking man.

"The manner in she reacted to Potter led me to believe that he was the only to use a curse," said Snape silkily. "There was no duel."

"You did not speak to Myrtle then," concluded Minerva with a frown. "Very well, I will approach her-

"Why not now?" asked Natalie. "I can go with you and there's still about 20 minutes till classes start. The Arithmancy classroom is close to that bathroom, anyway."

"This is not some mystery for Potter and his friends to unravel," said Snape mockingly.

"Severus, please do not talk in that manner to Miss Malkae," Minerva adominished. She looked at Natalie thoughtfully, the disapproval in her eyes departing. "Fine, Myrtle may be more receptive to students-

"Surely, Mineva, you are not believing this story. It's evidently a fictitious tale that Potter and his friends-

"Severus," interjected Minerva, fixing him with her hardest stare. "you of all people should understand that as a Head of House, I have an obligation to thoroughly investigate any incident in which harm is suspected to have been inflicted on my students or in this case, intended to be inflicted."

"Why not go to the Headmaster?" suggested Snape, gritting his teeth.

"There is no need and Albus is very tired after his venture last night," answered Minerva. "I am certain a few questions with Moaning Myrtle will settle this dispute."

"Are we going then?" asked Natalie hopefully.

Minerva nodded at Natalie. "Lead the way, Miss Malkae."

The three of them climbed up the staircase to the seventh floor, passing several groups of curious students. Once they reached the door to Myrtle's bathroom, Natalie cautiously stepped in.

"Myrtle," said Natalie gently. "Are you here?"

A loud, whooshing sound could be heard as Myrtle appeared in front of them. "What do you want?" said Myrtle suspiciously. "You're Harry Potter's girlfriend, are you not?"

Natalie winced. "Yes I am. We have a few questions about what happened to Harry and the blond haired boy, Draco Malfoy, yesterday."

"It was horrible," cried Myrtle dramatically, swishing back and forth over their heads. "That awful Harry Potter just came in, not caring at all for poor Draco. And then-

"What did Draco do?" asked Natalie.

"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME!" screamed Myrtle.

"Myrtle, behave yourself," commanded Minerva.

"Oh, Minerva, it's you," said Myrtle curiously, moving over to her so she was only a few inches from Minerva's face. "It must be so nice to be alive."

"We are very sorry about what happened to you," said Natalie sympathetically.

"They all say that but none of them mean it," hissed Myrtle, tears suddenly cascading from her eyes. "Minerva, I always thought you were so kind but you were friends with Olive Hornby!"

Snape smirked, crossing his arms against his chest. "Clearly, this conversation is utterly futile."

"Who asked you?" Myrtle hissed, swooshing over Snape who swatted at her. "You're exactly like those boys who used to tease me. 'Oh Myrtle, you're ugly, stupid and useless, nobody likes you, why do we care what you say?" She then flew into one of her stalls, the cries becoming higher pitched and the tears flowing into the toilet.

Minerva cleared her throat, a slightly nervous expression on her face. "I stopped talking to Olive after you died."

Natalie gaped at a bemused Minerva while Snape raised his eyebrows in annoyance.

Myrtle emerged from one of the stalls, stopping a few feet from Minerva. "You did?"

"Yes," said Minerva more firmly. "The way she treated you was unacceptable."

"It was," agreed Myrtle, wiping her eyes but still looking at Minerva suspiciously. "You don't talk to her?"

"Not since Hogwarts," answered Minerva, a sad smile on her face. "I never knew she was so cruel to you."

"You should have known," said Myrtle, her eyes brimming with tears once again. "But we never talked so I shouldn't expect you to know. What do you want then, Minerva?"

Natalie realized with a whooping sensation that Minerva managed to ingratiate herself with Myrtle through the apparently sincere apology.

Minerva gave Myrtle a sad smile. "Thank you, Myrtle. We need to know whether Draco Malfoy tried to cast a Dark Curse on Harry Potter before Potter hit him with his curse."

"What will happen to Draco if he did do that?" Myrtle asked in concern.

Natalie had to refrain herself from smirking in triumph at Snape whose smirk had quickly evaporated.

"Oh nothing bad," said Minerva calmly. "He will receive detention but we will not tell the Aurors or the Ministry.

"Oh good!" exclaimed Myrtle. "If Harry Potter can get away with near murder, then Draco should not be punished."

"He tried to use a Dark Curse then?" posed Minerva. "The Cruciatus Curse?"

Myrtle considered Minerva for a moment before sighing. "Yes."

"This is absolute rubbish," muttered Snape, pacing around the room. "How do we know she is not lying?"

"How dare you!" shrieked Myrtle, once again zooming towards Snape who tried to avoid her but instead slipped, falling on the floor. Natalie bit back a laugh.

"Myrtle would not lie about something like this," said Minerva, glaring at Snape. "From what I can see, she genuinely cares for Mr. Malfoy. And Severus, please do not be so condescending to someone who is obviously trying to help."

Turning to Myrtle with a kind smile, Minerva said, "Then he did initiate the duel by trying to cast the Cruciatus? What Mr. Potter did is far worse but I need to know about Mr. Malfoy to ensure he at least receives a punishment for casting the first spell."

"Yes, he started it though it was all that horrible Harry Potter's fault for coming in. He has never come here in four years," cried Myrtle, her eyes turning red. "And then when he does, it's to spy on poor Draco."

"I will undoubtedly be having a talk with Mr. Potter," stated Minerva severely. "Very well, Myrtle. Thank you."

Myrtle looked rather pleased with herself as she exited with a loud whoosh, zooming through an irate Snape and into the nearby wall.

Minerva gave Snape a hard, disapproving stare. "Severus, I have to say I am disappointed with your lack of investigation into this incident-

"I miscalculated the situation," muttered Snape, not showing any remorse. "Let me punish Draco."

"You have not already," said Minerva with a fierce scowl. "And he attempted to harm one of my students so I will take the responsibility of punishing him. 40 points from Slytherin and a week's worth of detention with me starting from Monday."

"Potter was never hit with the curse-

"Severus!" exclaimed Minerva, stepping towards him with a livid expression on her face. "Young Mr. Malfoy intended to use the Cruciatus on another student. You are aware of the pain a Cruciatus curse causes, are you not?"

Snape turned his head from Minerva's penetrating gaze. "Of course, I am aware."

"Then you'd understand why Mr. Malfoy cannot remain unpunished."

Snape, his head still turned from Minerva, gave a low bow of his head. "I will inform Mr. Malfoy of his punishment."

"Thank you Severus," said Minerva. "I would also advise you to recommend to Mr. Malfoy that he be much more careful with the magic he tries to use."

"As would I with Potter," hissed Snape scathingly. He glared angrily at Natalie. "Miss Malkae will however still be serving detention on Saturday during the Quidditch match. Her tone with me was unacceptable."

"I was defending Harry," Natalie protested crossly.

Minerva sighed. "As much as I applaud Miss Malkae for her intention to ensure a fair allocation of punishment was achieved, approaching and talking to a teacher with such aggression is not tolerated. Professor Snape, in this case, has full discretion over the punishment."

Natalie gritted her teeth, looking at Minerva intently. When her friend did not relent under her pleading look, she nodded. "I am sorry Professor Snape for speaking to you in such a rude manner."

"How sincere," drawled Snape, a nasty smirk on his face. "I am certain you and your boyfriend will enjoy the time together. I imagine it will conjure memories of Potter and Black in their heyday."

"Please do not speak ill of the dead, Severus," admonished Minerva coldly.

Snape looked as if he wanted to reply to Minerva, but instead, he gave her another low bow of his head before sweeping out of the room.

"Thank you, Minerva," said Natalie softly, a smile breaking out on her face.

"Let's leave. You must be on time for class," stated Minerva matter of factly. "I am sorry for Severus' behavior but that does not justify the way I heard you talking to him."

"I know it does not," replied Natalie sheepishly as they exited the bathroom. "I know he's completely loyal and I'm grateful to him for saving my life, but the way he blatantly favors Slytherins gets on my nerves."

"It has been a problem with him much more than it was with Horace," Minerva acknowledged. "Nevertheless, Mr. Malfoy's actions also do not make Mr. Potter's use of such a Dark Curse any more acceptable."

"Of course," Natalie replied, her tone insistent. "Using on that curse was completely foolish and dangerous on Harry's part."

"Very well," said Minerva, a small smile on her face as they descended the staircase. "I believe the Arithmancy classroom is on the 6th floor so I will leave you now."

"Thanks again," said Natalie, a cheeky grin spreading across her features. "The way you talked to Myrtle was brilliant by the way!"

Minerva's lips were twitched. "The apology was genuine though I confess that I did not expect her to take such an immediate liking to me."

"You are a very likeable person despite what you think," teased Natalie. She nodded at a bemused Minera before striding away from the staircase and along the corridor to the Arithmancy classroom.

Following a typical Arithmancy class in which they worked on the newest set of increasingly different yet very fascinating problems, Natalie arrived in Charms with Hermione, hoping Harry's spirits had improved. Hermione ensured that they occupied alternate seats at their usual Charms table so that either seat Harry took would be next to Natalie.

When Ron and Harry stepped into the classroom along with most of the students who did not have class in the morning, Ron eagerly took the seat between Hermione and Natalie. Harry, however, seemed to be looking everywhere except at Natalie. He rolled his eyes at Hermione's explicit motion of her eyes towards Natalie and gave Ron an surly scowl before walking past Natalie, appearing to choose to sit at the table next to them with Neville, Dean and Seamus. However, he then abruptly turned around and plopped on the chair next to Natalie.

"Don't look so pleased," Ron muttered to Hermione. "Harry looks right pissed."

Natalie could not be in stronger agreement with Ron. Harry gripped the edges of the desk. The veins in his arms were unnervingly visible and his eyes remained fixed firmly on the chalkboard.

"Harry?" Natalie whispered, wandering whether she should try to touch him.

Harry slid his chair further away from her. His hands clutched the desk even more tightly.

"Oh fine, you're not going to swat me away so easily," muttered Natalie in irritation as Flitwick bounced energetically to the front of the class to start the lesson.

The lesson proceeded in a long, frustrating manner. They practiced an advanced version of the Engorgement charm, using practice mice. Harry never glanced at her. When Flitwick suggested he look to Natalie for the proper wand movement, Harry nodded before standing up from his chair to watch Hermione cast the charm.

To Natalie's annoyance, Parvati and Lavender, at the table in front of them, kept shooting her inquisitive looks. She surmised that their intense chatter had nothing to do with the Engorgement charm. In fact, most of the class seemed to have noticed the sudden coldness between Harry and Natalie. By the end of the class, Natalie was ready to snap at the next uneasy, curious expression she saw.

Once Flitwick signaled for the end of class, Natalie stood up as quickly as Harry, following him in a frantic pace out of the door. She would not let him evade her so easily.

Once he turned another corner and they were far ahead of the rest of the students, Natalie reached out to grab his arm.

Harry tried to pull away. "What?" he hissed, not looking at her.

"We need to talk, Harry," Natalie said calmly. "Avoiding me won't do anything."

"I do not fancy another chat about how people tend to get killed because of me," snapped Harry, jerking his arm forcefully from her grip. "Not now, Natalie."

Harry moved away from her at almost a running pace, leaving a stunned Natalie. She exhaled loudly, walking slowly down the staircase to the Great Hall for lunch.

The rest of the day proceeded in the same slow, irritating pace for Natalie. In Potions, Harry ensured that he arrived first with Ron so that Ron could take the nearest seat and prevent Natalie from sitting next to him. He sat with Ginny at supper, chatting amicably with her and ignoring Hermione's frequent pleas to join the three of them. And somehow, in the evening, he managed to book Quidditch practice right until the time of curfew.

Concluding that Harry would not talk to her despite how apologetic she as, Natalie spent most of the evening in the library with Hermione, away from the chatter surrounding her and Harry in the common room.

The next morning, Natalie awoke very early once again. She decided to eat an early breakfast before her detention, but remembered with a pang of guilt that she had not told Hermione or Ron about her confrontation with Snape.

When she met Hermione in the common room, Natalie pulled her aside, silently casting Muffliato.

"What?" muttered Hermione who was still annoyed at Natalie for not trying to talk to Harry during the previous evening.

She relayed her conversation with Snape, Minerva's interruption and their questioning of Myrtle. By the end, Hermione was very angry that Snape had not chosen to punish Malfoy, fully agreeing with Natalie's confrontation but warned her about being too aggressive with the teacher.

"You sound like Minerva," said Natalie amusedly after Hermione reprimanded her for adopting such a harsh a stance against a teacher. "It's not like I don't respect him. He just needs to know when he's being too unfair."

"Still, you can't make accusations against Malfoy like that," Hermione insisted. "And you effectively accused Snape of hiding the Dark Mark on Malfoy's arm, if there is a Dark Mark."

"Seeing as that part of his arm was covered, away from the rest of his injuries, I think it's safe to say it was the Dark Mark. I think Snape should know that we also keep a close eye on him."

"Be careful," warned Hermione. "Anyway, you should tell Harry-

"No," said Natalie ardently. "I don't need any sympathy from him. If he's going to talk with me, it's because he wants to address what I said."

"Anyway," Natalie added. "I will be seeing him in detention with Snape."

"Fine," said Hermione with a resigned nod of her head. "Are we going to breakfast early? I think Ron's still asleep."

"I will have breakfast," said Natalie. "I'd rather not eat with the Gryffindor Quidditch team who all seem to be on a warpath with me."

"I suppose I'll eat with you," said Hermione as they left the common room.

"Can you tell Ron about my detention? And tell him good luck if I don't see him," said Natalie.

"Of course," replied Hermione, rubbing at her eyes. "You know maybe if you just talked to Harry during-

"With Snape there?" said Natalie sarcastically.

"You need to talk soon," Hermione said firmly.

"I will try," conceded Natalie. "If he shoves me away, there's nothing I can do. It takes two to talk, I hope you realize that."

"Of course I do," retorted Hermione.

Following a hefty breakfast, Natalie accompanied Hermione back to the common room. Hermione wanted to accompany Ron for breakfast to make sure his nerves were fine.

"I'm sure he'll be ok," Natalie said encouragingly as they approached the portrait hole. "Surely you two must have talked about the match?"

Hermione blushed. "Not really, in fact. He's really interested in what I do at home with my parents."

"Oh," said Natalie, taken aback. "That's a surprise. Well, I suppose your calming presence will have a good effect. A nice peck on the cheek will be a nice boost I imagine."

Natalie laughed at the stricken expression on Hermione's before they said the password to the Fat Lady and entered the common room. Once they entered, they walked to the corner where the Gryffindor Quidditch team was huddled. Ron noticed them and he waved them to a nearby settee.

"Not too nervous I hope?" said Natalie, grinning at him.

"Demelza reckons the Ravenclaw chasers have improved quite a bit," said Ron, fidgeting with his hands.

Hermione placed a hand on his back. "You'll do fine Ron. You've won a Quidditch cup and not to mention you were fabulous against Slytherin."

Natalie smiled at the way Ron's face first blushed and then visibly relaxed.

"I was a git then though," said Ron, frowning.

"I don't think it matters if you were a git," Natalie quipped. She glanced at her watch, seeing that it was fifteen minutes to ten. "Harry's gone to Snape then?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "Gave us one hell of a speech though- I think this whole Malfoy thing really has galvanized team spirit."

"I expect it would," noted Hermione, the disapproval showing in her voice.

"Anyway, I have to go. Good luck with your match Ron! I'm sure you'll do well," said Natalie, trying to appear as cheerful as she could. She gave Ron a tight hug and clapped him on the back.

"What?" said Ron in confusion. "You aren't coming to the match?"

"I have detention with Snape," said Natalie with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "I got into an argument with him yesterday and he decided to give me detention for my cheek. Hermione can fill you on the details."

With one last warm smile at Ron, she winked at Hermione's scowl before turning around and headed out of the common room.

Once Natalie reached the corridor leading to Snape's classroom, she noticed Harry leaning against the wall opposite the door to the classroom. Natalie's stomach instantly twisted itself into tight knots as she made her way to Harry. Surprisingly, Harry did not turn his back away from her once he spotted her nor did he scowl or narrow his eyes at her appearance. Instead, he appeared to be waiting for her.

"Harry," greeted Natalie, giving him a feeble smile. She leaned against the wall, adjacent to him, only a few feet away. To her relief, he did not shuffle away from her.

"Natalie," acknowledged Harry, not unpleasantly but also not warmly.

Harry placed his hands in his pockets, swaying from side to side. His eyes flickered between her and Snape's door. Natalie recognized these actions as definite signs of nervousness from him, but she did not know what could trigger this anxiety.

"You seem a bit edgy?" Natalie asked hesitantly.

Harry laughed, lifting Natalie's spirits. "You know me so well."

Before Natalie could respond, Harry cleared his throat. "Er Natalie I heard about you going to Snape yesterday to complain about Malfoy not getting punished. Apparently, he is going to get detention and points taken away so-

"How do you know?" Natalie asked sharply.

"McGonagall came to tell me yesterday after Quiddtich practice," said Harry, his gaze now remaining focused on Natalie. "She wanted to apologize for not looking into the duel more closely. Anyway, Natalie, thank you for putting your neck out there for me. I really appreciate it and I'm sorry you got detention partly because of my stupidity."

"I didn't want you to know," said Natalie abruptly, but she could not help but feel a surge of gratitude towards Minerva. "I don't mind the detention Harry. Leaving Malfoy unpunished would have been unfair to you."

"Still thank you," said Harry, his lips curving into a genuine smile. "It takes a lot of mettle to stand up to Snape."

Natalie gave a shaky laugh at their forced conversation and the way they were both tiptoeing around the encounter at the center of their minds. "Gosh, this is awkward Harry."

Harry laughed. It was a deep, reverberating laugh that made Natalie's heartbeat race. "You are right." His tone became more serious. "We should talk."

"Yes," said Natalie, her own enthusiasm bursting through.

"After detention?" posed Harry. "I don't fancy Snape interrupting us."

"Don't you want to know the result of the match and the house cup?"

"Yes, but this is more important," replied Harry without a trace of hesitation.

Natalie smiled warmly at him, walking closer to place her hand on his arm. "Yes, thank you Harry."

The door to the classroom jerked open loudly, causing both of the to jump in alarm. "Ah, such a tender moment," drawled Snape, striding out of the classroom. "I am very sorry to interrupt but although the two of you seem to have abysmal memories, there are detentions to be had."

"No, we didn't forget, sir," Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Potter, do no attempt to amuse me with that obnoxious mouth. 10 points from Gryffindor. Now, I've decided for tonight to estrange the two lovers; Potter, you will be serving detention with myself while Miss Malkae will have the undoubtedly pleasant experience of washing toilet bowels in the girl's bathroom under the supervision of Mr. Filch."

"Oh, joy," Natalie said under her breath.

"What was that, Miss Malkae?" Snape asked scathingly. "Another five points from Gryffindor for cheek. And here comes, Mr. Filch to break this _lovely _partnership."

Filch appeared immediatley from the near end of the corridor. Mrs. Norris prowled ahead of him, hissing at them.

"These are the two brats then?" sneered Filch, looking at them in undisguised glee.

"Yes, Argus," said Snape silkily. "I will be taking Potter for his detention while you have the honor of watching Miss Malkae."

"The toilet bowels are plenty dirty on the second floor," said Filch, grinning toothily at Natalie.

Snape seemed to wait for a moment for Natalie to mutter a sharp retort before continuing. "Very well. Shall we start then? Mr. Potter, into my classroom please. Do not worry-there are silencing charms placed on the windows. I would not want you to feel distracted by the Quidditch match."

"Wait for me outside this classroom," Harry whispered before marching into the classroom ahead of Snape.

"Potter, I said to come with me," hissed Snape, following Harry and looking like he wanted to cuff the boy. "And not to whisper some barbaric innuendo into your girlfriend's ear."

"I say hang them by their hands," said Filch loudly. "Never had any trouble from the brats in the old days. Let's go, you little rascal. We should not keep my dear Mrs. Norris waiting."

Seeing the disdainful look the cat shot her, Natalie desperately wanted to give it a solid kick in the behind, but controlled herself, walking ahead of the caretaker to the staircase.

As expected, Natalie's detention turned out to be very disgusting and extremely infuriating. Filch did not hold back in his taunts and poorly conducted verbal assaults. Many times, Natalie had to bite her lip to prevent herself from uttering a cheeky reply, reminding herself that the caretaker wanted her to talk back to him. Mrs. Norris was even more aggravating through her frequent hisses at Natalie when she paused to have a rest and the way she suddenly appeared in front of Natalie, the eyes narrowed suspiciously at her. Whenever Natalie glared menacingly at the cat, Filch arrived instantatenously behind her with an angry reprimand. She briefly wondered whether the two did have a telepathic relationship. The idea of Filch and the cat having a relationship brought out a much more intense surge of nausea than the toilet bowels.

After Filch inspected each toilet bowel five times, he grudgingly relieved her of the detention, warning her that next time she would be making a trip to the Forbidden Forest. Before Natalie could let her temper ignite itself, she almost sprinted out of the bathroom, heading for Snape's classroom. During the detention, she had been too occupied with ignoring Filch's insults to consider her meeting with Harry. Tingles of pleasure raced down her spine in the matter of fact way he branded their talk as having more importance than Quidditch, but then she wondered whether his persistence to talk with her may stem more from anger than a need to reconciliate.

Harry stood a few feet away from Snape's door. As soon as he saw her, he walked to her.

"Sorry," Natalie breathed, panting. "Filch kept me pretty late."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine. I only came out about ten minutes ago. Let's go to a classroom on the floor below- I think Snape might just inspect a classroom here."

"Knowing him he probably would," said Natalie, not knowing whether Harry seemed cool or welcoming towards her. "Did you hear about the result of the Quidditch match?"

"No," said Harry darkly. "Did you?"

"No and I didn't see any of the students entering. It looks like Snape picked locations far away from any of the common rooms for that reason." Natalie answered. Her stomach churned in apprehension at the scowl on Harry's face. "Listen Harry, if you want to find-

"No," said Harry firmly. "We need to talk about what we said to each other."

Natalie nodded, smiling at the determination in Harry's voice. They descended the staircase, entering the nearest classroom they found. Natalie locked the door and placed a Silencing charm on it.

"Not using Muffliato," said Harry with a grim smile.

"No, I figured it would be poor tact," said Natalie cautiously.

"It would."

An awkward pause unraveled itself between them. Harry pulled out a chair, sitting down on it while Natalie lifted herself onto the desk facing him. A multitude of possible statements ran through her head, but all of them appeared to be either too direct or too tentative. With both of them wringing their hands and staring at the other in a mixture of confusion and apprehension, the pause stretched itself into a very tense moment.

When Natalie decided the silence was doing nothing for her nerves, Harry spoke before she could find her voice. "Listen, I should be the one to apologize first since I started with the bad comments-

"No," said Natalie, a bit too aggressively. "What I said hurt the most. I'm not going to beat around the bush but I'm very sorry Harry. I never meant for you to interpret my remark as a declaration that you were to blame for Sirius' death."

"It was easy to interpret it that way," said Harry neutrally. Natalie was beginning to find the lack of emotion in his tone very agitating.

"Yes it was," agreed Natalie. "That was because of my own stupidity, but I do not place any of the blame for Sirius' death on you."

"Then why say it?" said Harry coldly, a sliver of emotion finally crawling into his voice.

Natalie sighed, not knowing what to say. After a brief pause, she decided to be completely honest with Harry. "I wanted to get my point across to you-

"That I don't listen to anyone else but only trust my 'bloody instincts'," interjected Harry, his face reddening.

"Harry, will you let me finish?" said Natalie, her voice rising. "I didn't mean to phrase it that way-

"Just like you didn't mean to accuse me about Sirius," snapped Harry.

"Harry!" said Natalie indignantly. "If we're both going to snap at each other, we're not getting anywhere. Please hear me out and then if you're angry, you can say whatever you want."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms against his chest, sliding his chair backwards.

Natalie deemed that he had chosen to listen to her side of the story first.

She inhaled loudly before continuing. "When I heard about the incident with Malfoy, I was so angry at you because you'd gone against my wishes and advice by specifically following Malfoy and then using the Prince's curse. I realize now that maybe I was too harsh and the Prince's curse was the first thing that came to mind when you realized Malfoy was casting an Unforgivable at you. Nevertheless, you should not have been there in the bathroom. Harry, it just seemed like you'd completely disregarded my opinion and call me childish, but I feared that you never paid serious attention to anything I've told-

"That's not true," Harry interrupted forcefully. "I really take everything you say seriously. Oh sorry about cutting you off."

Natalie smiled at him, a wave of relief rolling over her. "No it's fine, you can continue."

Harry nodded. "The Malfoy thing became an obsession. I still think he's up to something but I should have not taken up to planning my days around catching him red handed. I heard what you and Hermione were saying and I told myself to listen to you two. It's just I was so convinced he was planning something dangerous for Voldemort."

"He might still be," Natalie said calmly. "But as I've told you, Dumbledore must know about it and has the situation under control. However, I'll admit that I was wrong about him. He is likely a Death Eater- in the Hospital wing, when we saw his body, a part of his left arm was covered. And as we heard at Christmas, he has definitely been given a task by Voldemort. You are justified in wanting to stop him but you can't let it consume you."

"I know the consequences," stated Harry with a sad smile. "As much as I hate the git, I would never want to see him die at my hands or for that matter, I wouldn't want to see him die at all."

"I thought as much," said Natalie, smiling at him. "Anyway, can I continue?"

"Yes."

Natalie breathed again, composing herself. "Well I was so angry at you basically because I thought you did not respect me-it was foolish and selfish I know. I guess then, the point I wanted to make is that you need to not listen and do what Hermione, Ron or I say but consider our advice seriously. I know you do but show us, Harry. At times, it seems like you're in your own world and we're intruding."

"I do pay attention to you guys," Harry replied earnestly. "Malfoy was the exception; I just couldn't stop wanting to catch him."

"Remember we're here Harry and we want to help," said Natalie.

Harry frowned. "With everything about Voldemort, I suppose I get caught up in my worries and end up ignoring you guys. But I do hear and consider what you're saying."

"Anyone in your situation would feel that type of pressure. You deserve to have those worries," said Natalie sympathetically. "However, Harry, we need to know that you want our help; we're not mind readers."

"I do need you guys," stated Harry solemly. "I will try to give you three more of my attention."

"So," continued Harry, looking at her intently. "you don't think that I rely on my instincts too much?"

"Your instincts are great and have saved lots of people's lives," said Natalie. "Sometimes, though, they will be wrong and it's up to you to decide whether you reign in your instincts based on the advice of another person. Either way, all of us will be firmly by your side."

"When I said it's just 'you and your bloody instincts', I let my own anger take over me and I basically worded the phrase that would hurt and infuriate you the most," Natalie explained, clasping her hands nervously.

"The phrase did what you intended," said Harry flatly.

"I never meant it that way," said Natalie softly, trying to keep her tone from becoming pleading. "I just wanted you to show us- Hermione, Ron and I- that you valued our opinion."

Harry gazed at her for a painstakingly long moment before sighing. "I understand what you're saying. In fact, I had the same intentions behind my comments."

"We were both pretty mean to one another," said Natalie. "And about Sirius, the words came out of my mouth. At that point, I was so angry about the way I felt you disregarded my advice about Malfoy and the Prince and so intent on wanting for you to listen me that I inadvertently picked the one comment that would hurt and agitate you the most. Blaming you for his death was inexcusable. I understand if you're still very angry with me."

"I am angry and hurt," Harry admitted but he held Natalie's hesitant gaze. His green eyes were as bright and clear as Natalie had ever seen them. "But I understand you. I know you did not mean it."

"Thank you, Harry," whispered Natalie, a rich ebullience spreading through her.

"I still blame myself for his death," Harry muttered more to himself than Natalie.

"It was not your fault," said Natalie severely, sliding off the desk and holding his hands. "This was completely different than with Malfoy. You listened to Hermione and you asked Kreacher. He was the one who lied and my mother was the one who killed Sirius."

"It doesn't matter to me Natalie!" exclaimed Harry in frustration. He began to tremble under her grip. "If I asked Kreacher to call Sirius, I would have seen him and he would be alive. If I'd used the mirror to find Sirius, he'd be alive. If I had not decided to go to the Ministry, he would be alive. If I listened to Hermione and taken Snape's lessons seriously, I would have blocked off Voldemort and Sirius would still be alive. I may have not been the one who betrayed him or murdered him but I was the reason he was there Natalie! That you cannot deny! I will always feel responsible for his death!"

Natalie moved her arms around his waist, pulling him tightly against her. "Yes, Harry, the guilt will be there but you can't let it consume you. You don't think I feel bad for my father's death? If my mother had never become pregnant with me, he would be living right now with a proper family and a decent job."

"That's different," Harry mumbled. "You had no control over the situation. You were only a baby."

"My birth caused his death. She didn't kill him after they slept with each other," Natalie said quietly.

Harry wrapped his hands around Natalie. She felt his body slide more snugly against her.

"Yes I had little control over his death," continued Natalie. "And so did you Harry over Sirius.

"Natalie, no, I did," Harry said, his eyes glistening.

"You took the necessary precaution- you called Kreacher. Did you have any control about his allegiance to the Malfoys and my mother? Could you hold back Voldemort, a master Legilemens, who was set on planting that memory in your thoughts? Could you lessen Snape's resentment for your father and help him teach you properly? Could you stop Sirius from coming to the Ministry? Could you do all of those things, Harry?"

Harry stiffened against her. "Well, Natalie, the way you put it-

"Harry, the answer is no," Natalie stated firmly, pulling her head back. She cradled his cheeks in her hands, looking straight into his eyes. "None of those things were in your control and they were all factors leading to Sirius' death. So though you may have had a part in his murder, you do not take most of the blame and in fact, I'd say you take very little of the blame."

They stared at each other for a few moments. Natalie softly rubbed his cheeks, maintaining her penetrating, fierce gaze into his very agitated but slightly thoughtful eyes. She wanted him to understand her reasoning, wanted to relieve him some of his burden and most importantly, wanted him to come to terms with his godfather's murder.

She suddenly remembered the night in the Room of Requirement in which Harry comforted and soothed her. And with a surprising prescience, she knew exactly what would happen. Tears started to pour from Harry's very shiny eyes. He hung onto her more tightly, pressing his entire weight against her body and burying his head in her hair. She staggered back onto her desk, gripping and holding him with all her strength. His body shuddered, the sobs emerging with each shudder. The tears flowed into her hair, but Natalie did not mind at all. She stroked his head, letting her chin drop onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Natalie," Harry whispered in between sobs. "I just miss him so much."

"I know, Harry," whispered Natalie into his ear. She kissed the side of his cheek, letting her lips linger for an extra second.

They stood in the same position for a long time. She had never seen Harry cry nor seen him so sad, but Natalie knew he needed this release. She surmised that after learning of the gravity of the prophecy, he never had the opportunity to fully express all his sadness, guilt and anger about Sirius.

Once Harry released himself from her, he attempted to wipe his tears away in embarrassment, but Natalie brushed the tears herself.

"Thank you Natalie," said Harry softly, bringing her to him.

Natalie nodded. "Do you see what I said about Sirius?"

"Yes," said Harry, giving her a sad smile. "I never thought of it that way before- I suppose you are right in that other people and other events also led to his death. But I take some of the blame too and I will always feel the guilt."

"The guilt never leaves, but you need to accept it," said Natalie firmly. "Or it will consume you and tear you apart."

Harry looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I think I'm starting to. You've helped quite a bit."

Natalie flung her arms around his neck. "Remember Harry, we're all here to fight Voldemort alongside you. It is not a one man war."

Harry chuckled. "I know. I'm not going to run off at any moment on a mad mission to find the Horcruxes and kill him."

"You wouldn't do that, at least I hope," quipped Natalie.

Harry stared at her with a solemn expression on his face. "I should apologize to you for my remarks the other night-

"Harry, I know you didn't mean it."

Harry shook his head. "You need to hear me. It doesn't matter that I only met you this year- you understand and know me better than anyone. What you did tonight for me just proves it. And please don't feel like you're an outsider because you're anything but that. Neither Ron, Hermione or I even think of treating you as a person intruding on our friendship. You have become a part of our friendship. I'm sorry for what I implied when I said you wouldn't understand."

A surge of happiness raced through Natalie. Her eyes became wet as she pressed her lips againt Harry's lips, throwing them into that familiar bliss.

After a few minutes of passionately reacquainting themselves with one another, they pulled apart. Their faces were flushed, their hair unruffled but a glowing smile curved across each of their features.

"We should go back," Natalie said, sheepishly straightening her jumper and pants. "Most of Gryffindor will surely be wondering where you are."

Harry looked at his watch. "I think they would find it strange that we had detention for 6 hours but you never know with Snape."

"The match must have finished," Natalie noted. "I'm actually quite surprised no student or teacher walked into us. The classroom's not well hidden like the one near the Fat Lady."

"But like you said, it's far away from any of the common rooms."

Natalie lifted the Silencing charm off the door. They opened the door, entering the corridor and heading in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

"You don't use Muffliato that much, do you?" said Harry in bemusement.

Natalie shrugged. "I use a slightly modified Silencing charm that I found in a Charms textbook. The reverse spell for the charm is a simple 'Finite incantatem' for the caster, but very complicated for anyone else. Someone who knows 'Muffliato' could figure from the buzzing sound when the spell's cast on them."

Harry grinned. "Think of everything, don't you?"

"You can't be too careful."

"Kalissa's words?"

"Of course."

They passed a group of Ravenclaws who stared at them in a mixture of confusion and excitement. Natalie sighed. Her fight with Hary had quickly spread around the entire school and now she knew their reconciliation would disseminate just as quickly.

"How is Kalissa doing?" Harry asked once they passed the group. "We saw her last week - would you she send you a letter yet?"

"Already has," replied Natalie fondly. "She's doing as well as can be expected. She was very impressed with the three of you though she hopes she didn't overwhelm you with information."

"Nah," said Harry with a shrug. They reached the staircase leading to Gryffindor tower and started to ascend it. "Does she think Dumbledore's theory about the connection between Voldemort and I is correct?"

"She seemed to understand his reasoning and somewhat agree with him that nigh," said Natalie. "She didn't say anything in her letter, not that I expected her to."

"Somewhat agree?"

Natalie sighed. "I was watching her when Dumbledore explained why Voldemort's Dark Magic could affect the connection. She seemed a bit suspicious; I may be taking something out of nothing but I got that feeling from her."

Harry nodded, a frown emerging on his features. "You know her the best so you're probably right. To be honest though, I also had the feeling that he was hiding something from us."

"He didn't look as calm as usual," noted Natalie.

"It wouldn't be the first time," said Harry bitterly. "If he is not being completely open, he'll probably tell us later. He has that habit of keeping information until he deems it is the right moment to tell; annoying but we will eventually find out."

They stepped onto the corridor leading to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Yes, I think you're right," Natalie assented. "Anyway, I'm surprised we haven't talked about the Quidditch match."

"We'll find out soon," said Harry with a wry smile, motioning his head to the Fat Lady at the end of the corridor.

"It is awfully quiet," said Natalie. "You don't think they-

"Lost," Harry finished gloomily. "I hope not." They could not hear any sounds coming from the common room nor were there any students loitering in the corridor.

Once they reached the portrait, the Fat Lady gave them an odd look. After Natalie muttered the password, she appeared not to notice, fussing over her dress.

"What's wrong with you?" Natalie said irritably. "Pigwit!"

"I heard you the first time," snapped the Fat Lady, swinging open the portrait door.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Then why didn't you-

The answer to Natalie's question quickly arrived. Once the portrait opened, Natalie's jaw dropped in amazement. Almost all of Gryffindor was crowded around the entrance to the portrait hole, the Quidditch team at the front. Seemingly everyone had a glowing smile on their face. As soon as Harry came into view behind Natalie, the common room burst into a roaring cheer. People started jumping in a frenzy, raising their glasses to the air. Natalie could discern the distinct smell of firewhisky .

"We won mate!" Ron shouted, wearing a hat emblazoned with "Weasley is the King." The cheers became even louder as people started chanting 'Potter' along with 'Gryffindor'

"We did it, Natalie!" hollered Ron, pulling Natalie into a tight hug.

Natalie laughed lightly, returning the hug. Likely because of Hermione, she did not detect the smell of firewhiskey on him. "Well done, Ron. You must have been brilliant!"

"Bloody lucky, I was," said Ron sheepishly, his arms still around Natalie.

And then Natalie's stomach dropped. She saw Ginny emerge from behind Ron, staring at Harry with a blazing happiness on her face. As she passed them, Natalie could distinctly smell the firewhiskey on her. The red headed girl pushed through the people clambering around Harry, launching herself at an unsuspecting Harry. She flung her arms around his neck and for an agonizing second, Natalie thought she would kiss Harry, but he avoided her craning head, wrapping his arms around her in a forceful hug. Behind Ginny's head, Harry looked at Natalie with an apologetic smile.

Natalie clenched her fists, mentally forcing herself not to reach for her wand. She had not kissed him, she repeatedly told herself but Ginny's intention was clear. She breathed in sharply, ignoring the apprehensive expressions of those who had witnessed Ginny's attempt to kiss Harry.

To restrain herself even further, Natalie turned her back from Ginny and Harry to find Ron and Hermione behind her. With a slight startle, she noticed Ron's arm draped around Hermione's shoulders.

"Do you want a butterbeer?" Ron said enthusiastically, apparently not realizing Ginny's intentions. "There's some stronger stuff but I gathered you wouldn't like it."

"Yes, I'll have a butterbeer," said Natalie, smiling at him.

"I can smell the firewhiskey," noted Natalie, wrinkling her nose.

Hermione was staring furiously at Ginny who was now talking to Katie Bell, looking quite disappointed. Harry was talking rather animatedly to the two Gryffindor beaters who looked absolutely ecstatic. "I'm sorry about Ginny," said Hermione angrily.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders though she could not help but be touched by Hermione's anger on her behalf. "It's not your fault."

Hermione's eyes turned to her. "You must want to hex her."

"I do," said Natalie, trying to keep her eyes off Ginny so that her temper would not be ignited. "But I don't want to say anything or do anything that I might regret… like other instances in the past."

"Well phrased," said Hermione, chuckling though her eyes returned suspiciously to the red headed girl.

"She's had a lot to drink I suppose- I could smell the firewhiskey on her," said Natalie, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I told them not to abuse the firewhiskey," said Hermione irately. "It's forbidden among students and if Professor McGonagall finds out, I will certainly not be covering for anybody."

"I'm surprised you allowed it?" said Natalie, looking around. Quite a few of the sixth and seventh years had glasses of firewhiskey in their hands.

"At first, I told them we could not have the drink in the common room but a few of the seventh years managed to sneak it in- I realized with all the celebrations, they were going to drink the firewhiskey so I figured it would be damage control to only allow the sixth and seventh years to have it. Though I will be having a very serious chat with Ginny about her behaviour tonight regardless of how well she played."

"You better make sure I'm not there when you do that," said Natalie with a rueful smile.

"You two look pretty happy," said a deeper and slightly slurred voice behind them.

Both girls swiveled around to see Dean looking at them with a goofy grin. He had a glass of firewhiskey on his face though judging by the lucid look in his eyes and the smell coming off of him, this glas was not his first.

"Gryffindor won, didn't they?" said Natalie cheerfully.

"Yes, but you two don't see two happy with Ginny," said Dean pointedly, using his glass to motion toward the red haired girl.

"You saw her," stated Hermione, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Of course," agreed Dean, a contemplative expression spreading over his face. "She's always had a thing for Harry. That's why we broke up."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. "She told you that?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "I picked up on it. She was pretty testy with Natalie here so it seemed reasonable that with the amount of attention she paid to Harry, she still fancied the bloke."

Natalie suddenly remembered the strange look Dean gave her on the night he and Ginny broke apart.

"That night, you two broke up," recalled Natalie. "You stared at me in an odd sort of way. Was that because you wanted to tell me-

"How do you remember that?" exclaimed Dean in amazement. "I was thinking of telling you but Ron was with us so I didn't want to piss off another Weasley that night."

Natalie laughed. "A very good idea though you didn't need to warn me. I figured she still likes Harry quite a bit, but she needs to move on."

"I agree wholeheartedly," said Dean dramatically. He saluted her with his glass, drinking the firewhiskey in one gulp.

Hermione crossed her arms against her chest. "Dean, you really need to stop now."

"One more drink my dear," said Dean jovially, casting an arm around Hermione. "Where would we be without you keeping us all in line?"

Before Hermione could reprimand Dean further, Ron stepped into view, glaring at Dean. He handed Natalie her butterbeer before pulling Hermione away from Dean.

"Dean, you need to stop with the firewhiskey before you do something stupid," said Ron coldly. "Seamus is already pissed and he's ended up snogging some 3rd year girl in the corner over there."

The goofy grin on Dean's face quickly disappeared. "Bloody hell! A 3rd year girl?"

"Yes," snapped Ron. "And I don't fancy explaining to McGonagall why the two of you are draped over girls 3 years younger."

"That wouldn't happen to me," said Dean defensively, appearing to sober slightly.

"Then stop drinking the firewhiskey," Hermione stated sternly.

Dean shrugged his shoulders at them before walking away in the direction of the food table.

"Brilliant teamwork, that was," commented Natalie wryly.

Ron and Hermione smiled at each other.

"That was a good idea, Ron," noted Hermione.

"It's actually true," answered Ron, shaking his head in disgust. "I ran into Seamus with that girl."

Natalie stood on her tiptoes to try to find Seamus and the third year girl, but before she could turn her head to locate the proper corner, a familiar pair of lean, wiry arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"Harry, I'm going to drop my butterbeer," Natalie gasped though she was laughing.

Harry rotated her around to face him. "I wouldn't let that happen, would I?" said Harry with an excited twinkle in his eyes.

Harry leaned in closer to her, his expression becoming more solemn. "I'm sorry about Ginny."

Natalie saw Hermione grab Ron's arm and engage him in a very animated conversation.

"Harry, you don't have to apologize," muttered Natalie, attempting to release herself from Harry, but he kept a firm hold on her.

"You were right," said Harry morosely. "It seems like she does have feelings for me and if I'd let her kiss me, I might just hex myself into oblivion."

Natalie smiled at him. "Don't worry, I would have hexed you myself."

Harry laughed, filling Natalie's chest with a rejuvenating warmth. "You don't need to tell me that though Ginny took me completely by surprise."

"She did have quite a bit to drink," said Natalie though she did not want to create an excuse for the girl.

"Yes, but she still should know better," said Harry, disapproval evident in his tone.

Natalie sighed. "Yes she should. Besides my fight with you, things with her haven't been that bad. I'll try not to lose my temper-if she feels bad, then it's her decision whether she wants to apologize. I'm not approaching her."

Harry nodded. "I agree."

"Let's just enjoy tonight," said Natalie as cheerfully as she could. " Snape's attempt to ruin Gryffindor's chances were fruitless."

"I can't wait to see him on Monday," said Harry with a big grin on his face. He gave Natalie a light peck on the lips before pulling her towards him in a half hug. "Thanks again for before."

"That's what I'm here for," said Natalie softly so only he could hear.

"I know," Harry whispered.

Once they separated, they found Ron and Hermione looking at them with very amused expressions on their faces.

"Made up, have we?" asked Hermione airily.

"Oh keep quiet Hermione," said Natalie disdainfully. "Of course we have. Would Harry kiss and hug me otherwise?"

"Harry did you really have to do that?" said Ron though he also had a lopsided grin. "Half the bloody girls in the common room are giving Natalie the evil eye."

"Don't they always?" answered Natalie acidly.

"I'm just happy that you two resolved your argument," said Hermione, yawning. "Having to endure your fights is very tiring."

"Made me more nervous than the bloody Quidditch match," assented Ron.

"Look who's talking," said Harry and Natalie in unison.

All four of them glanced at one another in exasperation before breaking out in laughter. As they clinked their butterbeers in cheers, Natalie could not help but think that this day had turned out very nicely.

**A/N: How did you like Natalie's confrontation with Snape and the Natalie/Harry reconciliation?**


	34. The Invasion of Hogwarts

Chapter 34- The Invasion of Hogwarts

**A/N: I apologize for the 3 week delay between chapters. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! All the support is tremendous.**

**This chapter will have a lot of action and is a bit of a change from previous chapters. Hope you enjoy it!**

"Natalie, wait!" cried a sharp, piercing voice behind her.

Recognizing the owner of that voice, Natalie turned around in surprise to see the flushed face of Ginny Weasley staring anxiously at her.

"What?" said Natalie, trying to maintain a neutral tone. Since Ginny's attempt to kiss Harry last week, Natalie had attempted to avoid the red haired girl as much as possible mainly because she did not want to lose her temper and say or do anything that she could not take back.

"Have you spoken to Harry?" said Ginny, rocking nervously on her feet.

"Not since supper," replied Natalie in confusion. "I was helping some of the second years with Charms homework in the library but I'm heading back to the common room. I'm assuming he's there."

"He's not," said Ginny quickly. "He's gone off with Dumbledore-

"What?" exclaimed Natalie.

Ginny shrugged. "Ron said it was some project about Voldemort they were working on. But I'm supposed to get you."

"For what?" asked Natalie. Dumbledore must have found the locket and Harry was accompanying him to destroy the Horcrux. A mixture of excitement and trepidation for Harry infusion her as she thought of him fighting a part of Voldemort. But she did not know why Ron would send Ginny to tell her solely this information.

"Ron and Hermione are outside the Room of Requirement along with a few of my brothers and some members of the Order. Harry believes that Malfoy's succeeded in whatever he was planning- when he walked past the room, he heard him being pretty happy about something."

"Oh," said Natalie in understanding. She immediately wanted to dismiss Harry's fears about Malfoy, but something did not seem right. She always believed that Dumbledore, knowing about Malfoy from Snape, would stop his plans yet then why would he seem so happy? There was also a more pressing question popping into her mind after she heard Ginny. "Why are members of the Order there?"

"On Dumbledore's orders," replied Ginny. "Shall we go to the common room to drop off your bag and then meet them?"

"Alright," said Natalie distractedly, a wave of panic suddenly rushing over her. Once they started walking, she realized with a sinking sensation that she was wrong about Malfoy. For Dumbledore to send members of the Order to guard the Room of Requirement, Malfoy's task was undoubtedly dangerous. And Dumbledore evidently did not have him under control.

Too immersed in her own worries, Natalie failed to notice Ginny watching her with a hesitant expression on her face. When she finally noticed Ginny staring at her, Natalie turned her head to return Ginny's stare.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Natalie said, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, sorry," muttered Ginny. She looked away, her cheeks red.

Natalie raised her eyebrows. She never heard Ginny apologize to her. Moreover, the awkward, embarrassed behavior was completely atypical. "What's bothering you?"

Ginny gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath. She stopped walking, forcefully returning her gaze to Natalie who had also stopped.

Taking another deep breath, Ginny finally spoke. "I'm sorry for trying to er kiss Harry after the Quidditch match. I know you saw what happened and well it was very selfish and inconsiderate of me to even try such a thing."

Natalie gaped at her. The apology completely blindsided her. Of all the things she expected Ginny to tell her, this was by far the least likely.

"Well," spluttered Natalie, not knowing what to say. "Um I can't say it's alright because I'm still angry about it. And I know you have feelings for him-

"But he's your boyfriend," interjected Ginny, her tone slightly firmer. "And as much as I don't like it, you make him happy."

From the agitated way in which Ginny's face was contorted, the last phrase obviously caused Ginny great pain to utter.

"Thanks for the apology I suppose," said Natalie, her voice cracking. "I don't like what you did but it's in the past."

Ginny looked at her with an unreadable expression for a moment before nodding. "Let's keep going. Ron seemed pretty stressed about the whole Malfoy thing."

Natalie clicked her tongue. "No, wait." She gritted her teeth, determined to push the words out of her mouth if required. "About us- hopefully, we can be somewhat civil to one another. I really don't like the fighting and all the derogatory comments. I'm sorry for all the harsh things I've said to you. I think we should just put everything behind us."

Ginny looked at her in mild astonishment. After a few moments, she composed herself and stared at Natalie with that familiar blazing expression. "I don't enjoy the arguing either. I'm also sorry for all the nasty insults I've thrown your way. I'll admit I was wrong about you and I agree that we need to move forward but I don't see us being too friendly."

"Neither do I," said Natalie, finally finding her voice. "But we should be able to tolerate each other. Come on, we should get going."

As they resumed their walk to the common room, Natalie could not help but feel a surge of exhilaration. Her anger at Ginny for the other night still simmered under the surface, but she felt relieved of a burden. It seemed like Ginny was consciously trying to change her belligerent stance towards her.

Once they reached the half full common room, Natalie quickly dropped her bag in the dormitory, had a quick wash and returned to a waiting Ginny. She did not miss the many inquisitive glances and whisperings of many of the Gryffindor girls in the common room. Nodding at Ginny, the two of them exited the room, heading for the Room of Requirement.

After moving at an almost running pace to the seventh floor, Natalie spotted the group huddled around the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. As they reached the group, Natalie saw Ron, Hermione, the twins, Bill, Arthur, Tonks, a tall, black man she did not recognize, Remus as well as Minerva, Neville and Luna.

Hermione and Ron walked over to meet them while the others greeted Natalie with small smiles and nods. Ginny moved past Ron and Hermione to join the rest of the group who were conversing in hushed voices and staring expectantly at the wall where a door usually appeared into the Room of Requirement.

"Big crowd we have here," Natalie said quietly. "This is quite serious then?"

"Yes," noted Hermione solemnly. "It looks like Harry was right about Malfoy."

"How was Harry?" said Natalie worriedly.

"Fine as usual," replied Ron. "Pretty excited to see the Horcrux but he wanted us to take the Felix in case anything happened with Malfoy." Ron showed her the almost empty flask of Felix potion, a meaningful expression on his face. "He wanted you to drink it."

"Oh, I suppose this could be the right time to use it," said Natalie slowly but seeing the slightly sheepish expression on Ron's face, she frowned at him. "Did you drink it?"

"She's going to know anyway, Ron," said Hermione in exasperation. "We thought Neville and Luna would need the potion more than us so we told them to drink it, but Harry was insistent about you."

"I'm not taking it," said Natalie defiantly. "I know Harry will be angry with me, but if you two didn't take the Felix, I'm not going to."

"Told you she would be like this," said Ron, rolling his eyes at Hermione in a perfect imitation of her. "Harry won't be happy."

"You can't force me," said Natalie crossly. "And don't think I find all the 'Harry will be angry' comments convincing."

"Fine," muttered Hermione. "Well then, who-

"Ginny," said Natalie simply. "She's younger than us and less experienced."

"Certainly a change of tone there," said Hermione, looking taken aback. "You're not going to drink it then?" Natalie glared at her. "Oh fine, you can explain to Harry later. Ron, go tell Ginny to finish the potion."

Ron shook his head at Natalie before walking to Ginny, showing her the flask. Natalie heard Ginny complain profusely to him as Ron seemed to be gesturing animatedly for her to drink the potion.

"Hopefully, we can stop Malfoy quickly," said Hermione nervously.

"I agree," Natalie assented. "What is he doing in there anyway?"

"I don't know- we heard quite a bit of commotion early on but it's quieted down significantly in the last few minutes. I suspect Malfoy heard us gathering outside and then cast a Silencing charm," Hermione replied.

"So there are other people with him?" Natalie asked, looking at the door.

"Yes," answered Hermione, her face darkening. "Ron checked the map and all the Slytherins except for him are in their common room but we definitely heard more than one voice earlier."

Natalie's stomach took a sharp lurch, the implications sinking in. "Then there are-

"Yes," said Hermione grimly. "Likely Death Eaters. You should have drunk the Felix."

"And then why not you or Ron?" retorted Natalie.

"Fine," said Hermione, running a hand through her hair. "Anyway, do you know how Malfoy would manage to sneak them in?"

Natalie considered the question. "There's a passage that connects the Hog's Head to the Room of Requirement but Dumbledore's brother owns the Hog's Head and he guards that passage. And there are Aurors stationed all around Hog's Head so I think it would be impossible for Death Eaters to enter the pub."

"That's how you've been meeting Kalissa in the Hog's Head," said Hermione in realization. "But I agree with you- there would have been some noticeable violence and fighting in Hogsmeade if Death Eaters apparated in at the middle of the night.

"Anyway, we have enough people it looks like to fight them," said Natalie, her insides churning in dread. She remembered the last and only two times Killing Curses had been fired at her from Death Eaters.

Natalie could not help but smile when Ginny, under forceful encouragement from her brothers and father, reluctantly gulped the potion.

Under the black man's orders, Natalie saw the rest of the group spread out along the corridor. The Weasley twins and Arthur positioned themselves along the wall on the right side of the spot from which the door to the Room usually materialized. Bill, Fleur, Neville, and Luna moved to the left side of the door. Remus, Tonks and Ginny were stationed opposite the Weasley twins and Arthur while the black man and Minerva stood at the back wall, directly facing the entrance.

The tall, black man stepped over to them along with Ron , reaching out to shake Natalie's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Natalie. I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt-one of the Aurors that works for the Order," said Kingsley in a low, calming voice.

"Nice to meet you," said Natalie with a warm smile. She looked at the wall. "When do you think they will come out?"

"Pretty soon," answered Kingsley. "If they're Death Eaters, everyone will have to be very careful. I know all of you have faced them before but I do not need to say that these people will have no problem killing an innocent Hogwarts student."

"Where should we go?" said Hermione, anxiously fidgeting with the sleeve of her jumper.

"You three can position yourselves on this back wall opposite Bill, Fleur and Ginny," said Kingsley. "Be careful- if you see a jet of green light, get out of the way."

The three of them nodded before moving over to a spot behind Bill, Fleur and Ginny.

"We should get more Aurors and more Professors," whispered Natalie.

"Kingsley sent Professor Flitwick to alert the Aurors in Hogsmeade," answered Ron, lowering himself onto the floor. "And one of the Creevey brothers is telling the Professors."

"Good," said Natalie, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously. She could feel the cold sweat trickling down her neck, knots twisting in her stomach. "Now we just wait."

After ten minutes of watching the wall in intense anticipation, they finally heard a clicking sound coming from the wall. Jerking her wand out of her pocket along with the others, Natalie noticed a door appear in the wall. As the door began to open, she pointed her wand, ready to cast 'Aeronaugio.'

But Natalie's spell never came for as soon as the door opened, the entire corridor was cast into pitch black darkness. She could not see or even discern the outlines of anyone or anything.

And then, as Natalie attempted 'Lumos', the corridor exploded in a myriad of bright, dazzling colours. Natalie dove to her right, avoiding jets of blue and yellow light that careened into the wall. They were definitely Death Eaters.

Natalie returned the favour, firing two Stunning spells at some of the figures she could now discern because of the flashes created by the spells. She heard the others also aiming spells at the barely perceptible figures in the centre of the corridor.

"Using our bloody products!" shouted one of the twins.

"The idiots can't make their own things," bellowed the other twin.

"Where are those filthy bloodtraitors?" hissed a low, menacing voice Natalie recognized to be Dolohov.

"Do not use the Killing Curse!" screamed a higher pitched unfamiliar voice. "We do not know if Potter is here."

And then suddenly, a hazy mist filled the corridor, replacing the darkness.

"What the hell is happening?" shouted a raspy voice.

"This is what happens when you idiots use the other side's weapons to benefit yourselves," answered a twin gleefully.

The mist quickly cleared and the darkness no longer existed. Natalie had a clear view of eighteen or so masked Death Eaters that entered the castle along with the very scared face of Draco Malfoy. Natalie gritted her teeth. She had been an idiot to not listen to Harry, but she would make sure Malfoy paid for placing them all in danger.

The Death Eaters split into two groups; the groups ran in opposite directions toward the staircases on either end of the corridor. As they ran, they continued to maintain a fierce onslaught spells at the disconnected and slightly confused Order members.

Natalie blocked five Reducto curses and one Stunning spell, motioning her head for Ron and Hermione to come with her to chase them down the ones moving towards the left staircase.

Seeing the confusion and hesitation among many of the Order members, Kingsley pointed to the twins, Arthur, Remus, Tonks, Neville, Luna and Ginny. "Chase the group on the right staircase and see if you can cut them off. We'll take the ones on the left. Also, can some of you please make sure the common rooms are safe and the professors and Aurors alerted- I don't know why Bilius and that Creevey boy are taking so long."

Natalie ran with Ron and Hermione to the left staircase, sidestepping and blocking spells while trying to aim her own spells at the running Death Eaters. Bill was just ahead of them while Kingsley, Minerva and Fleur brought up the rear.

Once the Death Eaters reached the staircase, Minerva banished a pile of rubble down the stairs. Natalie grinned in triumph when a few painful groans could be heard.

The Death Eaters were delayed as they tried to navigate their way around their fallen comrades and the rubble.

Realizing Minerva's plan, Natalie nudged Hermione, mumbling 'water'.

Both of them swept their wands in identical figure eight motions. Two large waves of water, one in front of the other, rolled down the stairs. Most of the Death Eaters shrieked in surprise as they were knocked backwards by the powerful pair of waves.

One of the Death Eaters ripped off the wet mask from his face, revealing a blonde haired man with a haggard, pointed face and a sordid smile. He stared hungrily at Hermione. "This must be the wonderful mudblood Antonin was talking about. My,my, she does look quite impeccable."

"Don't talk to her," Ron snarled, sending a Stunning spell that he deflected easily.

Many of the other Death Eaters were standing up, returning fire at them.

"Oh, the pretty mudblood has a boyfriend," the man cackled, in between spells. "And he is a blood traitor." He shot a Killing Curse at Ron and Hermione that they quickly sidestepped. Quicker than she thought he could, Ron reciprocated the relentless attack on the Death Eater, seeming hellbent on cursing the man. Hermione, along with Kingsley and Fleur, had started to engage a few of the other Death Eaters in frantic duels.

The animated figure of a large snake issued out of four of the Death Eater's wands, slithering towards them with a hungry expression on its face. Finally finding her aim, Natalie pointed her wand at one of those four Death Eaters, thinking "Impedimenta." She barely had time to enjoy the curse send him flying over the banister before she saw the snake approach her, its fangs visible.

"10 points to Gryffindor, Malkae!" sneered one of the Death Eaters. "Now let's see you take on the snake."

Minerva waved her wand in a complicated motion and the silver figure of a majestic lion poured forth from her wand. With a deep, resounding roar, the lion launched itself at the surprised snake. It throttled the snake, using its claws to rip the head of the snake and then swallowing the remainder of the body.

"How do you fellows like that for Gryffindor strength?" spat Minerva, a bullish look on her face.

"McGonagall, how many Muggles do we have to kill to get you off our case?" said a brown haired man with a malicious smirk on his face.

Minerva's face instantly reddened, her fury frightening. A myriad of spells flowed out of her wand, pushing the Death Eaters further down the staircase. Another Death Eater fell to the ground unconscious so Natalie counted ten still standing.

Natalie pushed Fleur out of the way a blue jet of light while barely blocking another blue light with her strongest shield. Along with the others including even Minerva and Kingsley, they were finding it impossible to aim a curse properly with the barrage of spells attacking them.

The pile of rubble suddenly came zooming back towards them at lightning speed. Natalie's stomach twisted horribly when she saw the very sharp edges attached each fragment. Being at the front of the group, Natalie quickly conjured a shield, modifying it to stretch horizontally across the staircase. She heard Bill on the other side, also at the front, do the same. To her relief, the pieces of rubble ricocheted off the shield in random directions. Many were sent hurtling back at the retreating Death Eaters, others carving themselves into the side walls and a few falling off the staircase onto the floors below.

Since the shield prevented any of their spells from reaching the Death Eaters except for the Killing Curse, all of the Death Eaters were taking advantage of the shield to sprint down the staircase.

"Don't let them get away!" bellowed Minerva. Kingsley swept his wand and their shield evaporated.

They ran down the staircase, Bill and Natalie at the front, firing as many curses as they could to slow the Death Eaters. Unfortunately, a few already reached the fourth floor and to Natalie's surprise, stayed on the landing by the staircase. It was a rather poor and surprising decision Natalie thought because the staircase they just came from was the only way out of the landing.

But before she could contemplate their decision further, a blinding red light filled the room. Natalie placed her hand over her eyes, rolling herself down the staircase, hoping that a curse did not strike her. These Death Eaters were much smarter than the ones she had encountered on Christmas and on Knockturn Alley.

Finally, the red light ceased and they had a full view once again of the Death Eaters who were now standing their ground in front of the door Malfoy went through. Clearly, they were guarding him but what could have been on top of the Astronomy Tower?

All of them started dueling with at least one or two Death Eaters so that the room was bursting into a myriad of flashing colours.

Natalie began rapidly exchanging curses with the nearest Death Eater who had ripped off his mask. To her horror, she recognized the man to be Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Why so scared?" hissed Rodolphus, a sinister expression on his face. "I know who you are, my dear."

Natalie swallowed, staggering backward. His 'Impedimenta' curse caught her unaware on the shoulder, sending her flying painfully into the wall. She quickly pushed herself upwards, massaging her hurt back, but Lestrange was even quicker. He moved over to her in one stride, pushing her against the wall.

"I saw you as a baby," spat Lestrange, his rotten breath washing over her face. "You were much prettier. It's too bad I never got a chance to meet your father. He and I would have got along just fine."

The mention of her father ignited Natalie's temper, arousing her out of her shocked state. She kicked Rodolphus in the groin, causing him to reel backwards, howling in pain. She retrieved her wand from the floor

"Don't talk to me, you piece of scum," said Natalie icily. All of the anger about her father's death consumed her. A pure hatred and disgust radiated off her for the man in front of her. He was one of the people responsible for her father's horrific murder. Before Lestrange could hold his wand to her, she fired a Blasting curse that struck him squarely on the chest, careening him into the nearby corner. She then conjured a whip from her wand that lashed viciously against his face, causing it to bleed quite badly. She struck him with the most painful combination of Stinging hexes she knew, ensuring that he was barely conscious.

And then for her last spell, Natalie raised her wand, her mind set on the Unforgivable that would fully avenge her father. But before she could think the pair of words making a killer, Natalie saw the fear in Rodolphus' eyes; the same fear her father must have had when her mother raised her wand at him. And with that thought, the scorching fury within Natalie abated. Instead of the Killing Curse, she hit Rodolphus first with a Stunning spell and then a Sleeping charm to ensure he remained unconscious.

Breathing heavily, Natalie knew she could not have killed him. She was not yet ready to have another person's life on her hands. Natalie turned around to help the others fend off the Death Eaters.

She joined Ron and Hermione who were fighting two burly Death Eaters that were giving the two teenagers all they could handle. She caught one of them by surprise with a well aimed stinging hex that struck his face. The man hissed in pain, blindly firing a Killing Curse that came nowhere near Natalie. Before he could orientate himself, Natalie sent an 'Aeronaugio' that thrust him against the wall with a cacophonous crash. Before he could regain his breath, Ron sent a powerful Stunning spell at him, knocking him unconscious.

"Rosier!" bellowed the other Death Eater who was locked in combat with Hermione.

Natalie immediately aimed a Blasting curse that he barely blocked as Hermione continued her attack of curses. Ron joined the duel, the three of them overwhelming the Death Eater with their barrage of spells. He started to stagger backward, choosing to deflect the spells and reciprocate the fire. When she saw his eyes dart to the sides to look for an escape, Natalie quickly shot a Tripping hex at his legs. He stumbled and his shield fell. Both Ron and Hermione struck him with spells that caused him to drop to the ground, unconscious.

Natalie looked around to see who else needed help. Behind them, she noticed that Kingsley and Minerva were quite successful. Three Death Eaters, including the blonde haired man who taunted Hermione, lay on the ground around them and the two they were fighting were looking very frantic and retreating quickly.

"Let's go help Bill and Fleur," said Hermione, jerking her head to the nearby couple who were dueling the other two remaining Death Eaters: a stocky, grey haired and a thin, blonde haired woman.

"You two go on," said Natalie. "I'm going to bind these two and the one I knocked out so that they don't get away too easily when they regain consciousness."

"I'll help you," Hermione suggested. "It will be quicker. Let's use ropes that will cut them if they try to resist."

Natalie nodded, recalling the spell Hermione had showed her a few months. Thinking of the incantation and imagining a rope with hidden, invisible blades that only sprouted with movement, Natalie waved her wand twice in a circular motion. She and Hermione successful bound the two burly Death Eaters. Natalie then focused her attention on Rodolphus, repeating the spell except instead of blades, she imagined a scorching fire emanating from the ropes.

Hermione looked at Rodolphus in surprise. "Is that-

"Yes," said Natalie, her gaze hardening. "We can talk later. Come on, let's finish them off."

The three of them ran over to Bill and Fleur, launching a mixture of Stinging hexes, Blasting curses and Stunning spells at the surprised Death Eaters.

"Thanks," muttered Bill as he deflected a 'Crucio' from the man.

"These are bloody schoolchildren!" screamed the man in anger.

"We need to give Draco time, Mulciber ," hissed the woman in the high pitched voice Natalie heard earlier.

"Time to do what?" said Natalie, trying to blind them with a flash of red light.

"That trick doesn't work my dear," sneered the man, quickly casting away the light.

Ron caught the man unaware with a Cutting curse that grazed his shoulder.

"Ahhhhh!" growled Mulciber. "_Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!_"

Ron, Natalie and Hermione easily dodged the wayward Killing Curses, returning fire on the man. Bill and Fleur were pushing the woman back onto the door Draco had fled through.

"Getting desperate, are we?" said Natalie as another Killing Curse missed her badly. "I thought you perfectly pure blooded Death Eaters were trained in the Dark Arts."

"Don't talk to me you little scumbag!" snarled Mulciber. "_Crucio!_"

Natalie swept her wand in a rectangular motion, envision the advanced version of the Aeronaugio spell. A stream of air came hurtling towards the man who abruptly conjured a shield. However, as Natalie envisioned, the air not only thrust itself at the shield but encased him, rendering his shield useless.

"What the bloody hell!" Mucliber gasped as the mass of air throttled him.

A couple of Stinging hexes by Ron and Hermione threw him against the door to the Astronomy Tower. And then a final Stunner from Natalie rendered him unconscious.

Seeing that Bill and Fleur had a definite upper hand against the woman, Natalie raised her wand to bind Mulciber with ropes. However, Hermione's head was turned away from them.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" said Natalie as she followed Hermione's gaze, gasping.

Another wave of about five Death Eaters were descending down the staircase, shooting spells across the room. Natalie barely pulled Ron out of the way of a blue light and dove to the floor along with Hermione, avoiding two Killing Curses. Her stomach sank as she saw a jet of yellow light swallow Fleur, causing the girl to collapse onto the ground.

"We should have stationed somebody at the room to prevent others from," said Hermione bitterly, shooting an array of spells at the oncoming Death Eaters.

Natalie cast three 'Aeronaugios' in succession but to her dismay, only one of them hit a Death Eater.

Taking all of them by surprise, Snape swept into the room from the same staircase the Death Eaters entered. He shot a disdainful look at the four Death Eaters firing spells in every direction at the Order members before sprinting past Minerva and Kingsley through the door that opened into the staircase leading to the Entrance Hall. Natalie stared confusedly as the door closed behind him. As a spy, she knew he could not fight the Death Eaters but then why show his face?

"NOOO!" screamed Ron in horror. Both Hermione and Natalie jerked their heads to the spot upon which Ron's gaze was fixed.

An extremely hairy man, more akin to an animal, had jumped upon Bill. His claws were ripping at Bill's clothes, gashing at his chest and to Natalie's immense disgust, his razor sharp teeth were sinking into Bill's face and neck.

"Greyback!" whispered Hermione in shock. Natalie felt like vomiting at seeing the savage way in which he thrashed at Bill's face.

Ron ran forward, shouting, "_Stupefy!"_Greyback jumped out of the way of the jet of red light before fixing his eyes hungrily on the approaching red haired boy.

As he leapt through the air at Ron, both Hermione and Kingsley fired Blasting curses at Greyback. Hermione's grazed the werewolf's shoulder, but Kingsley's connected with the chest, causing Greyback to fall onto the floor. With surprising agility, the werewolf stood up and began prowling between the three of them.

"We can take care of him," said Hermione, watching Greyback dodging Kingsley and Ron's spells. "Go help McGonagall." She ran to Bill's side, swishing her wand frantically over his body. Ron and Kingsley both positioned themselves directly in front of her as Greyback began launching himself at either one.

Natalie swiveled her head, noticing Minerva taking on the other four Death Eaters. She gave Hermione a wary glance before running over to help her friend.

"Oh look who's here," said one of the Death Eaters in a familiar drawl.

Natalie sent a Stunner at him that he deflected before they both rapidly started exchanging spells. The Death Eater, alongside him, smiled at her insidiously before he also moved his focus from Minerva to her.

"Just keep them busy Natalie," muttered Minerva out of the corner of her mouth as she sent a loud, booming spell at the two Death Eaters fighting her. "I'll finish them off for you."

Natalie nodded, sidestepping out of the way of a Killing curse. She banished piles of rubble at the two Death Eaters who set the rubble on fire. Using the smoke to block her, she summoned one of the suits of armor along the wall into the pair. With a satisfied grin, Natalie heard shrieks of pain from both men before she had to move out of the way of three yellow jets of light. The smoke quickly cleared as another Killing curse sailed over her head. She sent four Stunners in succession, managing to push the Death Eaters back.

Then, wanting to distract them, she conjured a rolling wave, causing one of the men to shriek in rage while the other cackled in laughter.

"Still using the same trick, are we Malkae?" hissed the familiar voice. Then, remembering her day at Knockturn Alley, Natalie instantly knew the identity of the man.

"Rabastan Lestrange," spat Natalie, throwing balls of fire at the pair. "The Azkhaban security must be atrocious."

One of the balls of fire seared the shoulder of Lestrange's compatriot. He howled in pain. Natalie fired a Cutting curse at him that Lestrange quickly blocked for his partner.

"She's a bloody girl, Macnair. Get your head together, you damn oaf," snapped Rabastan.

"I took nice care of your brother," Natalie said, winking at him. She blocked the barrage of Cruciatus curses sent her way by a suddenly angry Rabastan.

"I shouldn't really be calling you Malkae, should I?" said Rabastan loudly, a horrible smile on his face. "More like Black."

Natalie gritted her teeth, noticing Minerva stiffen for the slightest second next to her. She expected Rodolphus' brother to know her identity, but she was not going to let him cause her any shame.

"It shows how pathetic your brother was, doesn't it?" snarled Natalie, grinning in triumph as another set of Stinging hexes found Macnair's face. "That she had to turn a Muggle for a child."

"What the hell is she talking about?" hissed one of the Death Eaters dueling Minerva.

"None of your bloody business," screamed Rabastan, his face contorted in rage. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!"

"_Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!_" shouted Rabastan madly. None of the Killing Curses came even close to a smirking Natalie.

"I'm sure that's how your master views Rodolphus as well," said Natalie, thoroughly enjoying the taunting. She cast an Aeronaugio at the howling MacNair. He was thrust onto a suit of armor, crashing to the floor with a cacophonous thud. At the same time, she saw Minerva dispatch of one of her opponents; the other one looked to be bleeding badly.

Rabastan looked as if he was going to shoot another barrage of Killing Curses at her, but surprising Natalie, he collapsed to the floor. From the staircase behind Rabastan, Remus and Tonks emerged.

A jet of purple light from Tonks' wand slashed through the Death Eater Minerva was dueling. He dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Remus had already placed himself between Greyback, who was continuing to dodge the relentless onslaught of curses, and Ron and Kingsley.

"Ah, Lupin, I've been wondering about you," drawled Greyback in an extremely unpleasant, raspy voice. He leapt above one of the torches, barely missing Kingsley's Killing curse yet his sickly yellow eyes were focused firmly on the determined face of the other werewolf in the room.

"What did you do now?" said Remus in a dangerously low voice that sent shivers down Natalie's spine. Along with the others, she watched Greyback attentively, waiting for his attack.

"Been talking about me behind my back, have you?" cried Greyback maniacally, launching himself at the other wall. But with amazing agility, he somersaulted in mid air and landed directly in between Kingsley and Ron. He kicked Kingsley violently on the chest, sending the black haired man sprawling into a nearby cabinet and then seized Ron by the neck, ready to sink his teeth into another Weasley's neck.

"Ron!" shouted Hermione, moving with her wand to the

"No, Hermione, don't," cried Natalie, panic flooding her as she could see Greyback's eyes widen in pure, savage hunger at the approaching figure of the brown haired girl.

Hermione raised her wand, but Greyback seemed too quick. He threw Ron viciously to the side, and then leapt in front of Hermione, swiping the wand out of her hand. Natalie and Minerva immediately fired Stunners that he easily anticipated and swerved below; Natalie ran as fast she could to the pair to try to stop Greyback from killing her best friend.

However, before he could bite Hermione, Remus dove straight into Greyback. With brilliant strength, Remus threw Greyback against the wall adjacent to the door leading to the Astronomy Tower. Greyback, once again with uncanny speed, rebounded off the wall, jumping straight into Remus who wrapped his arms around Greyback's head, crashing them both into the wall with a resounding thud. Remus bashed Greyback's head against the wall, punching him in the back. But, Greyback lowered his back into Remus' chest, stifling the breath of the man. He punched Remus' face, sending Remus was falling.

Natalie, Minerva and Tonks rushed forward. Natalie was certain Greyback would try to severe Remus' neck. In frustration, all of their Blasting curses and Stunners once again missed the werewolf. He sneered at them before he ran into Remus who, despite looking badly beaten, was waiting for him with a small smile. Once they met, a silver light immediately enveloped them. Natalie heard both Remus and Greyback scream in pain for a very long, punctuated moment until Greyback pulled out of the embrace.

"I will be back for you Lupin," hissed Greyback, clutching his abdomen. He then jumped onto the wall and left the room through one of the windows on the high ceiling.

"Remus, what did you do?" cried Tonks, making her way to an exhausted Remus who was also grabbing his chest, looking to be in brutal pain.

"A curse for werewolves that only a werewolf can cast," stated Kingsley grimly. "It is said to cause unimaginable pain."

"I'm fine," croaked Remus though he appeared as if he was ready to collapse. "Minerva, we need to go help the others downstairs in the Entrance hall. There are more Death Eaters-a whole bunch are apparating into Hogsmeade. We managed to alert the Aurors but they're being delayed by all the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade."

"No one's entering from the Room of Requirement- we stunned the Death Eater letting them into Hogwarts. They were using a Vanishing cabinet that Remus and I sealed," added Tonks, holding Remus in her arms and rubbing his back.

"A Vanishing cabinet," mouthed Natalie in disbelief. "Where is it connected to?"

"Never mind about that, Natalie, said Minerva firmly. "Miss Granger, how are Bill and Fleur doing?"

"Fleur's alive," said Hermione hoarsely. "And Bill's not doing well though I've managed to stop the blood from leaking."

"Alright," said Minerva, taking control of the situation. "Kingsley and I will aid the other Order members in the Entrance Hall. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, I want you two to accompany Fleur, Bill and Remus to the Hospital Wing. I will not take no for an answer. Remus, you are going. There is no way you will survive in your current state against the likes of Dolohov. Natalie and Nymphadora, I want you to check the common rooms and tell all the students to stay where they are. If the Seventh years want to fight, then let them- they are of age."

"Minerva, I think Tonks should accompany Remus," said Natalie, looking warily at the couple.

"No, she will come with you," said Remus, a resolved expression on his face. "We have no idea which other Death Eaters entered the castle.

"I agree with Remus," stated Minerva authoritavely. "Now let's get going."

Tonks squeezed Remus' hand, letting Ron drape his arm around the man's shoulders and with one last significant look at him, she walked over to Natalie.

"Let's go to the Ravenclaw common room first," said Tonks.

Natalie nodded. "The closest one makes sense." She looked at Minerva and Kingsley. "Once we're done, we will come down to fight."

"As will we," stated Hermione who was levitating both Fleur and Bill's bodies.

Minerva glared at Natalie. "Very well. Now go," said Minerva.

Kinglsey shook his head at Natalie who was now looking anxiously at all the Death Eaters lying across the floor unconscious. "We will bind the Death Eaters. Please go now."

Noticing the frightening insistence on his face and the severe scowl Minerva wore, Natalie did not need anymore telling. She and Tonks sprinted through the same door Snape exited. They climbed one set of stairs to the fifth floor and then ran down the corridor, turning the corner and reaching the staircase leading to Ravenclaw tower. Both Natalie and Tonks caught their breath, giving one another small smiles before they cautiously moved up these stairs, looking for any sign of danger.

Once they were close to the top of the staircase, a horrible molten smell filled their nostrils. Natalie gulped, seeing Tonks stiffen beside her. She remember this smell all too well from Malfoy's body in the Hospital wing; the unmistakable scent of blood.

Tonks crouched forward ahead of Natalie, peeking her head through the slightly ajar door. The pink haired woman took a sharp intake of breath, but opened the door more fully. Natalie followed her into a landing, not unlike to the one in which they just fought the Death Eaters. A few suits of armor were located along the room, and the stone walls rose majestically to meet large window from which moonlight streamed through.

However, Natalie and Tonks' eyes were drawn to the many bodies that lay in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. The statue of the eagle, which usually guarded the entrance, looked to be destroyed, its pieces spread all over the landing. Stepping closer, Natalie recognized the three bodies; Professor Flitwick, the 7th year Cho Chang and Anthony Goldstein. All looked to be alive, but were bleeding badly and convulsing horribly. Each possessed a number of bruises and cuts on their faces and their arms and legs looked to be twisted and broken in inhuman ways. Chang and Goldstein's eyes were open, but Flitwick, the worst looking of the three, was unconscious. As Natalie and Tonks came closer, Chang and Goldstein's eyes darted in fear towards, but then instantly relaxed.

"Who did this?" breathed Natalie, bending over each body and doing her best to try to stop the flow of blood. "No one in the common room must have known what happened to them because the Eagle was destroyed."

"I do not know," said Tonks, looking equally as shocked. She mirrored Natalie's actions, placing her hand on the shoulders of Goldstein and Chang to try to calm their breathing.

"Listen we're here," whispered Tonks gently. "We are going to take you to the Hospital wing."

"No, go," said Chang, her eyes fluttering. Natalie cringed at the way a mere curving of her lips caused her brutal pain. "She's still here."

"Who?" asked Natalie, but Chang did not need to answer. A distinctly familiar, cackling laughter reverberated around the room.

"Oh no," Natalie gasped, jerking her body around. Pure fear and terror gripped Natalie. "Not here, please."

**A/N: How did you guys like this chapter? There were more Death Eaters and in particular, more of the savage, sinister ones in this invasion than in the one depicted in canon, because I wanted to make it look like a really dangerous, fierce battle.**


	35. A Motherly Glimpse

Chapter 35- A Motherly Glimpse

**A/N: Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter! All the support is tremendous.**

**This chapter is essentially a continuation of the previous chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Besides Natalie and Kalissa, I own zero percent of the brilliance that belongs to JKR.**

Tonks jumped from the floor, pointing her wand around the room. "Belllatrix," hissed Tonks, shielding the three bodies.

Natalie swallowed. She refused to let the shock envelop here, not when other people's lives were at stake. Lifting her wand with tremendous will, Natalie clenched her jaw. She ignored the violent thrashing of her heart against her chest, the weakness in her knees and the heaviness sinking into the pit of her stomach.

"Of course my dear, how could I miss the opportunity?" said Bellatrix sweetly. As the laughter once again rang around the room in all directions, a suit of armor to their left disintegrated revealing the wicked smirk and haughty expression Natalie had come to hate.

Tonks immediately shot three Stunners at Bellatrix who summoned another suit of armor to absorb the full blow of the spells. The black haired woman started prancing around the room, shooting spells randomly, rearing her head back in laughter. None of Tonks' spells came close or appeared to remotely bother Bellatrix.

"I mean, Nymphadora," began Bellatrix, her eyes flashing as she stopped at a spot a few feet away from them. "It's not everyday I can see my niece and _my daughter._"

"It's a pleasure too, Bellatrix," snarled Tonks and then her mouth opened in confusion. "Your… what?"

"Yes, my daughter, little Natalie over here," Bellatrix replied, sneering at the Auror "It is so wonderful to see you again, my lovely angelic child." She dramatically wiped fake tears from her eyes.

"_Crucio!_" shrieked Bellatrix, bringing her wand with amazing speed onto Tonks

But Natalie somehow reacted instinctively, summoning the energy to push Tonks out of the way of the spell.

"Much more active than last time," cooed Bellatrix, sending three more "_Crucio!" _that Tonks barely dodged. "You have not improved Nymphadora, I am afraid."

"Leave her alone," said Natalie, trying to sound much stronger than she felt. She fired an 'Aeronaugio' at her mother, but the curse was so feeble that Natalie even wondered whether her magic also left her in her mother's presence.

"Such bravado," noted Bellatrix disdainfully, continuing a relentless attack of curses on the Auror. "Do you like what I did to poor little Professor Flitwick?"

"You're a rotten piece of scum," screamed Tonks, shooting more Blasting curses that Bellatrix waved away easily with her wand. She cast an annoyed glance at the pink haired woman. "You know in spite of your appearance, you are so much like your mother."

"So did you like my work, Natalie?" said Bellatrix, turning her head back to Natalie.

"N-no," stuttered Natalie, desperately shaking her head to clear herself of the shock that was beginning to suffocate her. "No," Natalie repeated herself, her voice hardening.

"Ah, I thought as much," replied Bellatrix with a nasty sneer. One of Tonks Stunning spells finally managed to graze her shoulder, causing Bellatrix to stumble.

"You are so BLOODY ANNOYING!" screamed Bellatrix furiously, now directing her full attention on Tonks. "Can't you be a good niece for once in your damn life?'

Little pellets of black light streamed out of Bellatrix's wand, all zooming towards Tonks who deftly jumped out of the way of each one. But as Tonks was dodging the last pellet, she tripped onto the floor and Bellatrix had her opportunity. She struck Tonks with a powerful Blasting Curse that thrust the pink haired girl against the wall.

"How is mummy doing anyway?" said Bellatrix in that terrible sugary voice. "And Daddy – I'll have to set up an appointment with him soon."

Tonks' face reddened as she tried to push herself off the wall. "You even lay your filthy hands on him –"

"Manners, Nymphadora," said Bellatrix dismissively, hitting Tonks with a pellet of black light that took the breath out of the woman.

And then as Tonks slid down the wall, Bellatrix lashed her madly with a thin, imaginary whip. "Nymphadora, I honestly thought you had some mettle. My goodness, even Sirius put up a stronger fight."

Afraid that her mother would not spare a thought for her niece and knowing she could not send a proper curse at Bellatrix, Natalie pointed her wand at the windows, summoning forth all of her will and energy into this Blasting curse. When she thought the incantation, an invigorating warmth spread through her and then into the wand. Closing her eyes, Natalie felt a massive burst of air sent hurtling towards the glass. Breathing in satisfaction, she heard the windows shatter, the glass falling onto the floor all around them.

"Natalie, what are you doing?" screeched Bellatrix, diving out of the way of the falling glass. Thankfully, Natalie noticed Tonks taking refuge behind another suit of armor.

Then Natalie quickly pointed her wand at her throat, whispering "_Sonorus." _But Bellatrix already read her plan and immediately fired an "Impedimenta" that caught Natalie by surprise.

"Smart, Natalie," commented Bellatrix, leering at her. "But I would have liked a more direct approach."

"Don't talk to me," croaked Natalie, trying to catch her breath. She saw Tonks stand up from behind Bellatrix, moving past the suit of armor.

But instead of hexing Bellatrix, Tonks used the distraction to shoot red sparks into the air through the windows. The black haired woman, sensing the Auror's movement, jerked her body around. She sidestepped Tonks' feeble Stunner, an outraged expression on her face.

"Nymphadora, there's no need to panic," Bellatrix hissed. She slashed her wand through the air. A stream of blue light cut through Tonks' chest, dropping the woman to the ground.

"Don't kill her," said Natalie hoarsely, picking herself from the ground and massaging her chest.

Bellatrix' gaze flitted towards her momentarily but she continued to walk towards Tonks' body with a nauseatingly playful air. "Nymphadora needs to learn to respect her elders."

To Natalie's horror, Bellatrix pulled out a dagger from her cloak, already stained with blood.

"No!" shrieked Natalie, running forward. "You can't!"

"Why not Natalie?" said Bellatrix, her eyes fixed on Nymphadora. She dragged the edge of the dagger across Nymphadora's throat.

"Other will be coming," cried Natalie, kneeling on the ground besides Nymphadora's body and across from Bellatrix.

"And do you really think I care about them?" drawled Bellatrix. "All I need is a few minutes with Nymphadora and she shall remember me forever."

Natalie shuddered at the longing in Bellatrix's voice. Shame coursed through her at being related to this woman, but her primary focus was Tonks.

"She's your family," said Natalie softly. She hoped that she managed to keep the panic out of her voice.

Bellatrix's eyes flickered to her. "Family does not matter anymore," Bellatrix snapped.

"She has Black blood in her," continued Natalie, holding her mother's eyes and barely pushing back the trepidation and surging fear within her. "Whether you like it or not, she is related to you. How would your sister view you?"

"My sister doesn't give a damn," said Bellatrix icily. "And if Potter hasn't told you yet my dear, I have already killed my own cousin."

As Bellatrix gave Tonks a nasty kick, the panic finally swept over Natalie. She was running out of things to say even though a voice in her head told her that all her protests were useless. Bellatrix looked like she truly did not care about her niece's life.

And then, taking Natalie by immense surprise, Bellatrix withdrew the dagger. She grabbed Natalie by the shoulder. "Don't resist me or I will kill her and the other three over there."

Natalie had to stop herself from smiling in relief. She let her mother drag her out of the room, down the staircase and then she stopped abruptly by a window.

"Let's go for a fieldtrip," said Bellatrix with a nasty smile. With a flick of her wand, the glass vanished. Before Natalie could realize what she was doing, Bellatrix jumped out of the window with Natalie under her hold.

Natalie's insides froze in terror. A weightless feeling overcome her as she watched the Ravenclaw tower become higher and higher. However, the feeling dissipated quickly, surprising her. She looked around, realizing they were not falling, but rather flying past the back end of the castle. Her mouth opened wide at the determined expression on the woman beside her; as much as she detested her mother at the moment, she could not help but be impressed with the spell. She had never heard of any type of magic, outside of a broomstick, that allowed the full bodies of wizards and witches to overcome the effects of gravity. But then, Natalie realized with a surge of dread that she was completely alone with her mother. She glanced frantically at the front of the castle, looking for anyone who would notice them. Unlike last time, Natalie did not want to see the fate her mother had in mind for her. Unfortunately, with the path Bellatrix had taken, no one would have seen them as the Ravenclaw tower blocked the region of the forest they were gliding towards. She tried to reach for her wand, but found her pocket empty. When she lifted her hand, she saw the wand sticking out of her mother's cloak, the same cloak holding the dagger she had used on Professor Flitwick and two Hogwarts students.

As they soared over the remainder of the castle and grounds, the heaviness in Natalie's stomach bit and clawed furiously at her insides. Her mother was taking away from everyone; Harry, Kalissa, Hermione, Ron, Minerva, Dumbledore. This wonderful 6th year was for nothing. This was the separation, the destruction of her life she had always feared. At Christmas, her mother's lack of affection hurt, but she realized now the idea of spending unlimited time with her was far more devastating. A horrible sinking sensation swathed her; she could feel herself falling into the inevitable fate that always lingered at the edges of her mind, always reminding her of her identity and always waiting for her.

They landed gracefully on the edges of the Forbidden Forest. As soon as they stepped onto the ground, Natalie made for a run but she felt an invisible hand twist her and pull her straight into her mother's embrace.

"Now, now, there's no need to be scared," whispered Bellatrix though the insidious pleasure in her cruel smile told a different story.

"Where are you taking me?" said Natalie, averting her gaze from her mother.

Bellatrix forcefully lifted her chin. "A place you should remember."

And with that phrase, Natalie felt both of them twist on the spot. The familiar weightlessness caught her by surprise before they landed in a dark alley.

"Come on," said Bellatrix excitedly, dragging Natalie who looked around anxiously.

They then emerged on an empty residential street. Along each side of the street, houses of every colour stood, each one adopting a slightly different form of the box shape. A stiff, cool evening wind rumbled through the random array of trees, shrubs and bushes. Recognition flickered in Natalie's eyes. And when Bellatrix took her further down the street, stopping in front of an empty lot, Natalie's heart sank. She knew exactly where they were. Bellatrix waved her wand in an oval motion in front of the gate. A white house with navy blue shutters, wide windows, a small veranda and a roof shaped like a cone emerged.

"No... Please no," pleaded Natalie, staring into her mother's happy eyes. She remembered seeing this house once with Kalissa, who had magically rebuilt the home from its burned remains.

"This is where Daddy lived," cooed Bellatrix, giggling.

"And where you killed him," snapped Natalie, her fear of the woman abating. She realized with a slight startle that her pity for her father and her love for his memory pused back all the fear and shame she bore because of her mother.

Bellatrix stopped giggling, a malicious smirk on her face. "Why don't I give you a tour?"

Before Natalie could object further, her mother pulled her past the gate, across the veranda and into the house.

"Now let's have some fun," said Bellatrix. She jerked Natalie to face her, letting her eyes bore into Natalie's brown ones. Both of their eyes immediately fluttered shut.

Before Natalie knew what was happening, she felt the sudden intrusion into her mind. A needling, prickling pain pierced her as her mother entered. A bruising, heavy force pushed and pulled her thoughts, wheedling them out of her grasp. Feeling the pain evaporate, Natalie started to let all her memories become drawn into the dark cloud gaining size in her mind. Strands of memory funneled into the cloud's growing tendrils, her mind yielding to her mother's will.

And then Natalie remembered with a startle where they were. She would not let her mother control her in the house she murdered her father. She gritted her teeth, trying to pull her thoughts and memories back to herself. She ignored the compulsion within her to allow her mother the access, link their minds so that she could see her mother's thoughts, feel those emotions once more. Forcing herself to stay separate from Bellatrix, the cutting pain resurfaced, a sign that her mother was again trying to penetrate her mind. Natalie kept fighting, remembering her promise to Harry and Kalissa. She did not want any part of this woman.

"Oooh, this is interesting," Bellatrix hissed, her voice echoing around Natalie's mind. "You don't want to see Mummy's mind, do you?"

"No," said Natalie, feeling like she was screaming the word in her own mind.

A much more powerful, bruising force whipped at Natalie's collection of thoughts. She grimaced in pain, kneeling to the ground.

"There's no need to be difficult," said Bellatrix softly.

"Let me show you some of my memories," continued her mother, stroking her arms. A shiver raced across Natalie's spine at the touch. She did not enjoy it.

And then as if Natalie's defenses were inconsequential, a stream of memories bombarded her consciousness. Shock overcome Natalie at what she saw. Bellatrix and her father meeting for the first time in the nearby park. The enraptured expression on her mother's face, the way her eyes twinkled with an original enthusiasm, completely different than the excitement now in her eyes. Her father animatedly gestured to Bellatrix, his face alight with an efferscevelent glow. She watched him with an unmistakable contentment, a bursting hope far away from the malevolent hunger devouring the woman in front of her.

Natalie could not help herself. She wanted to see more; to bask in her father's exuberance, amaze herself with the soft affection on her mother's face, prove that perhaps her mother felt something for her father. And Bellatrix complied. Another stream of memories flowed into Natalie's mind; her father and mother dancing on a different day, feverishly clinging to each other, gazing into one another's eyes with a serene joy of astounding vitality. She saw them holdings hands on another stroll through the park, completely oblivious to everyone around them. Natalie's shock only mounted at the gentle moments unraveling before her; the soft smiles, flushed gazes underlined by a fierce longing, laughter rippling across their faces as they leaned against one another. Then, kissing in front of his house, her mother's arms draped around her father's back, his hands playing with the long, wavy hair. A sense of fulfillment imbibed Natalie. Perhaps, they had been lovers; her father no doubt loved her mother to no end, but more importantly her mother appeared to reciprocate the feeling with just as much, if not more passion. The shred of humanity, she always hoped for, may just have existed.

And then, she felt herself dragged into an empty room painted in the same navy blue decorating the shutters. Another memory flooded her mind. Making Natalie inevitably wince, she saw them in bed with each other, Bellatrix curled against her father's chest, the white sheets draped over both of their naked bodies. When her mother left, for the first time, Natalie detected something other than pure happiness in her eyes; a clouding of emotion, a darkening that pointed to something far more malignant. And abruptly, the memory disappeared.

Hungrily wanting to see more of her mother's mind, Natalie allowed the dark cloud to surround her. All the memories she saw arranged themselves in a row across this mind like little puzzle pieces, only this time the images were much hazier as if something had blunted their sharpness to her mother. Tendrils of darkness snaked around these images, holding them tightly against one another. Starting to become drawn into the newer memories, anticipation rose within Natalie yet an undercurrent of ease grew within her.

And these memories exposed themselves for Natalie. She watched her mother's delight at the Fertility charm marking her pregnancy. At this sight, a warmth disseminated over Natalie, a genuine smile on her face. The smile instantly vanished as the next memory arrived. Uncharacteristic fear gripped the pregnant Bellatrix's face. When Natalie saw the photograph that was upsetting her, her stomach took a steep lurch; it was a picture of her father in the park. Natalie's heart started to throb painfully when the next few images flashed before her. Bellatrix stowing away letters written by her father, standing outside his house with a remorseful expression on her face, walking alone in the park, tears streaming down her cheeks and then the image that hurt Natalie the most: her mother running a hand over her swollen belly, a detached look of sadness unraveled across her face.

And then Natalie instantly knew what the other memories would show, her heart suddenly aching in pure devastation, the heaviness in her stomach stronger than ever. She saw Bellatrix holding her as a baby, uncharacteristic fear etched all over her features. She watched in horror while a livid Voldemort tortured a sobbing Bellatrix, the same fear gripping her mother's face as Voldemort threw a photograph of Natalie's father onto her.

And now, her mother's emotions struck her in full force. The tendrils of darkness draped over the fluttering memories of Bellatrix and her father. With these memories, powerful waves of shame rolled through her. The humiliation of being weak, of feeling utterly powerless, of disappointing someone was so acute, cutting painfully across Natalie's senses. Following this shame came a terrible, full bodied hatred for her father. She once again experienced the complete devotion to Voldemort, his image infusing her with exhilarating power. An insatiable need to please this man burst within her.

Natalie tried to desperately pull away, not wanting to feel any of these emotions but she could not sever the link. Memories continued to relentlessly unfold in front of her. Bellatrix burning her father's letters in brutal anger, looking at his house from the outside in cold fury and then finally the one memory she never wanted to see: her mother quietly casting the Killing Curse on her terrified father. Natalie saw herself lying alongside the dead body of her father; the baby crying profusely while her mother set the house on fire and then with last look of disgust at the baby, apparated away.

Natalie gasped as her mother's abruptly emotions left her. She noticed with a sharp pang of disappointment that their minds remained connected.

"Did you enjoy _our_ story, Natalie?" said Bellatrix, the cruel, sugary voice ringing around Natalie's head.

Hearing the malevolence and utter disregard in Bellatrix's tone evoked a powerful sense of clarity within her. This woman was not her mother. Her mother was the woman who had cherished and loved her father despite his blood and in spite of her status as a Death Eater, the woman who chose to give birth to her even though she suspected her identity, the woman who perhaps wished to keep her father safe by not telling him of the pregnancy. And knowing that indeed her mother, at one time, loved both her and father provided Natalie with an immense sense of fulfillment.

Her mother was not the hideous creature who could see all these thoughts. She was not the woman who let the shame of Voldemort's disappointment invoke venomous contempt for a man she loved. Not the woman who hated herself for feeling so weak and emotional during her pregnancy. And finally, not the woman who chose to destroy the very family she created.

For the first time in her life, Natalie truly felt a sense of detachment from Bellatrix Lestrange. And she wanted Bellatrix to see every single word that crossed her mind, every single thought that weaved itself. She wanted the woman to feel her anger at her, realize that she no longer viewed her as her mother. That woman disappeared the moment she chose Voldemort over her father. And Natalie truly hated her for it.

"So angry at me," Bellatrix whispered, letting her fingers slide over Natalie's face. "You are my daughter, Natalie and you can't change that."

Natalie's revulsion only became more profound. "No," said Natalie, shaking her head. "No."

"You shouldn't feel sorry for your father," continued Bellatrix, shaking Natalie. "There's no need to hate me, Natalie."

"Not very happy with me, are you?" snarled Bellatrix, the anger evident in her voice. She placed her hands on Natalie's shoulders. "Natalie, your father was weak. In this world, people like him do not survive for long. You can be so great with me, my dear. As my daughter, the Dark Lord will treat you very well. I can feel the power within you and you know _Potter_."

"Get away from me!" screamed Natalie, her voice resonating across both of their minds. She tried unsuccessfully from Bellatrix's strong hold, but then realized what exactly might cause her mother to drop the connection.

Natalie focused on every single happy memory in the last year. All of the moments of laughter and pure, uninhibited joy with Kalissa, her enthusiastic discussions with Dumbledore over the summer, the tender moments she shared with Minerva, meeting Harry for the first time, feeling the first spurs of an attraction for him, then falling for him, becoming intoxicated with his presence and reveling in the way he completely understood her, Hermione's acceptance and gentle tolerance and ease with her, the wonderful security Hermione gave her when Harry was angry, laughing with Ron, getting to know him better, then having him valiantly defend her identity and finally the realization that she was her own person, completely different and separate from the woman in front of her. Natalie summoned all of her energy to send this mass of happy thoughts, this vision of liberation at Bellatrix's mind.

All those strands and wisps of memory hurtled outwards, pushing away the dark cloud enveloping her. The tendrils of darkness receded, the cloud lost its unified shape as all the dark little strands of Bellatrix's thoughts shot off in random directions. Bellatrix screamed in anguish, the scream piercing through both of their minds. Once again and hopefully for the last time, Natalie felt the woman's raw, stinging emotion. Hot, seething anger consumed her, the hatred for her father returning with tremendous force, powerful shame manifesting itself this time in the form of Natalie's image and not the brown haired man.

And then in one sudden movement, Natalie felt her mother release her. The bruising force clamping down on her mind lifted, the unnatural biting emotion dissipated and the connection bridging them snapped. As Bellatrix continued to scream, the air crackled and sizzled with the powerful magic radiating off the woman. The walls shuddered, the windows shattered and the entire house seemed to reach its breaking point before the screaming stopped.

Bellatrix brought Natalie to her face. "You are weak, my girl. Very weak." She threw Natalie violently across the room, shooting her wand madly around the room, destroying the walls before turning to Natalie with a sinister expression on her face.

"Do you _love _dear Harry?" leered Bellatrix, twirling her wand in her hands. "Love is for fools."

"You loved my father," said Natalie defiantly. She lifted herself from the ground, waiting for the woman to turn her wand on her. "In fact, I believe there was some goodness in you that he saw, but now it's gone. You're just a detestable creature like Voldemort."

"HOW DARE YOU SAY HIS NAME!" bellowed Bellatrix. Natalie cringed when she heard other rooms in the house collapse.

"It's a shame you are just like your father," Bellatrix spat. "You are a silly little girl."

An invisible whip lashed across Natalie's face, causing her to groan in pain. She tried to crawl away, but the whip wrapped itself around her, drawing her towards Bellatrix.

"Did you honestly think you could present me as some sort of trophy to Voldemort?" hissed Natalie, staring into those dark, clouded eyes. It did not bother her at all that their faces were only inches apart.

"Do not insult the Dark Lord!" shrieked Bellatrix, bashing Natalie against the wall. Spitting on Natalie, she raised her wand. "Crucio!"

Scorching pain consumed her. She felt like white hot knives pierced every inch of her skin. Natalie could not stop herself from screaming; the pain was so unbearable, so blindingly acute. Her head was bursting, her body contorting horribly in the air as she was driven to the edge of her consciousness. And then the terrible torment stopped. She dropped to the ground, her body aching more than it ever had before.

"Enjoyed that did you?" said Bellatrix softly, her eyes flashing in pleasure. "I must say I never experimented with the Cruciatus on your father. At that time, I was, how would you say it, not as well rehearsed."

"Go to hell," said Natalie though it caused her great pain to say those few words.

"Ah, I thought that would teach you some respect," drawled Bellatrix. "_Crucio!"_

Natalie's body was once again on fire as if hot, prickly needles were cutting into her back, branding her with the pain. She could feel herself losing all sense of where she was, but this time, Natalie closed her mouth, physically biting back any screams. Despite the torrential shaking of her mind, she would not give this woman any more pleasure.

The curse lifted again. Natalie crawled to the nearest corner, her limbs feeling utterly ripped and torn apart.

"No screams, then Natalie?" jeered Bellatrix, striding over to forcefully lift Natalie to face her. "Do you know that Potter tried to use the Cruciatus against me last year? The fool couldn't of course. You have to really hate the person, really want him or in your case, her, to suffer the most terrible, most brutal fate."

"I'm sorry that he wasn't successful," spat Natalie.

"That's no way talk to your mother," cooed Bellatrix, rearing her head back in terrible laughter.

"You are not my mother," repeated Natalie disdainfully, a terrible exhaustion sweeping over her. "She died the moment she decided to kill both of us."

"So valiant without a wand," noted Bellatrix with a horrible sneer. "I see you've learned from Potter very well."

"Kill me then," said Natalie brashly, realizing she was trapped in this room. Without a wand, she could not even try to apparate, but Natalie was ready to fight her mother. Ignoring the pain still lashing out at her insides, she lifted her head to stare straight into those hungry, malicious black eyes she now hated more than anything else.

"Surely, you wouldn't want a _tragic_ death," said Bellatrix mockingly, letting her go. "Imagine the look on Potter's face when he stepped over your dead body or your dear Kalissa."

"They wouldn't rest until they could step over your dead body."

"I relish the pursuit," said Bellatrix, licking her lips. "Very well then. Why don't we make your death a bit more symbolic?"

And then, she stepped over to Natalie before the girl could even move away. Grabbing Natalie, she twisted on the spot. The familiar strangling sensation overcame Natalie before they landed in a cemetery in front of a square gravestone. Several bouquets of flowers were scattered around the gravestone.

Natalie swallowed. The black haired woman, now staring hungrily at the gravestone, did live up to her promise. She slowly rotated her head to the name on the gravestone, the tears pouring out of her eyes. Natalie had only been in this cemetery once, but she could never forget the memory.

_ Below this grave lies David Claggerton_

_ A beloved teacher, brother, son and father_

_ Born January 16th, 1957, Died February 18th, 1981_

_ We can only be as free as our minds choose to be. _

**A/N: How did you like the chapter? As you probably saw, I wanted to show a more human/genuine side to Bellatrix through those memories and that at one point, she could fall in love, even with a Muggle.**


	36. Finding Natalie

Chapter 36- Finding Natalie

**A/N: Thanks to everybody who reviewed the last chapter! The reviews are wonderful!**

**This chapter will be a change from the rest of the story (as you will see) but I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Besides Kaliss and Natalie, I own zero percent of the wizarding world which belongs to the genius of J.K. Rowling.**

Kalissa sighed at the huge assortment of Muggle novels she had read over the past few weeks: romance, adventure, fantasy, non fictionional biographies, political rhetoric and discussion, travel books, cooking books. She already pretty much exhausted her collection of wizarding books, frequently irritating Minerva with pleas for any articles or essays about recent developments in any field of magic including divination. Since September, she had pored over hundreds of books and articles on every subject and aspect of wizarding society from the lack of evolution of the Daily Prophet to the most complicated Transfiguration theory and spellwork. Kalissa smiled. Despite her expertise in Arithmancy, she maintained a very strong interest in Transfiguration, partly due to Minerva but mainly because after studying Muggle chemistry and physics following Hogwarts, she gained a much greater appreciation of how amazingly complex the transfiguration of an object could be. Yet she could not help but note that the boredom was starting to sink into her. There was a war raging outside and there was so much she could do to help the Order rather than only providing Harry, Natalie and their friends with information about Horcruxes.

Ah, Natalie. The name as well as the image it conjured infused Kalissa with a tingling warmth. Before Natalie, she had never given much consideration to the idea of having a daughter, being consumed with the fight against Voldemort, too determined with enacting revenge on him for all the devastation and pain he had caused her family and friends. But once she rescued Natalie from the fire Bellatrix cast, her perspective changed completely. She never loved another person as much as she loved that girl. Although she was not the one to give birth to Natalie, for all intents and purposes, Natalie was her daughter.

An ebullient smile spread across her features. She could not be any prouder of the girl. She truly was a brilliant individual, not only in her tremendous intelligence and wit but the gentle compassion and openness in which she treated others. Natalie did not deserve any of the traumatic past that always hovered over her. Kalissa shook her head. Natalie deserved a mother who loved her in spite of her identity; not some deranged lunatic who cares more for blood purity and for a insidious murderer than her own daughter. Kalissa sighed. Despite Natalie's strong minded outward appearance, she was fully aware that Bellatrix Lestrange utterly terrified, angered and most importantly in Kalissa's estimation, hurt Natalie. She wanted the woman to act like a mother even though Kalissa knew that would never happen; whatever semblance of humanity the woman showed in courting Natalie's father was lost forever. Kalissa desperately wanted to protect Natalie, keep her far away from Bellatrix, not have her ever confront the woman fanatically searching for her. At the thought of Bellatrix meeting Natalie, a sudden urge to not only curse but kill the woman and end their misery filled Kalissa. Yet, she knew that for Natalie to fully remove herself from the specter of her mother, the struggle must come from within. Kalissa's advice, no matter how insistent or fierce, could only affect Natalie to a certain extent; to genuinely detach herself from the horrible maelstrom of emotion Bellatrix brought Natalie, the girl needed to summon the will and resolve in herself.

This year, though Kalissa pondered as another wave of enthusiasm rolled over her, Natalie looked to be much happier. For much of her childhood and time at Durmstrang, the girl had difficulty establishing friendships with others, no doubt in Kalissa's mind, feeling that her identity erected a barrier between her and all of her classmates. However, at Hogwarts, somehow, Natalie found people she trusted and loved. Kalissa did not know whether the change in environment rejuvenated Natalie, whether the familiarity Hogwarts always aroused opened the girl or perhaps, whether it was pure luck that the first student she encountered turned out be a boy with just as troubled as past, but also with an equally gentle and compassionate disposition. Seeing the way Harry and Natalie stared and comforted one another sent shivers racing down her spine. And there was of course Ron and Hermione who were also fully aware of Natalie's identity, accepting her and showing a genuine warmth and concern for Natalie as well. Kalissa would have preferred if Natalie asked her about telling the others her identity but she had always advised her to share this secret with others once she found people she trusted. And Kalissa knew it was not her secret to tell; the decision would always lie in Natalie's hands.

Kalissa breathed once again in frustration as she turned on the television. As much as she found Muggle television intriguing and entertaining, the alternative patterns of reading followed by watching television were becoming far too repetitive for her. She glanced over to the mess of parchment and books on her dining table; she could recheck the Arithmancy calculations that had managed to keep her occupied for a month. Her immense set of Arithmancy books had undergone a thorough examination with her investigation into the connection between Harry and Voldemort. Despite Albus' valid point about the emotional strength of the link, she still believed Arithmancy could fully explain the link; from her past descriptions of magic, she knew the parameters of the equations describing circumstantial magic could be very flexible. However, Kalissa conceded that a theoretical description of the connection was not sufficient, not for her, likely not for Natalie and surely not for Harry. She needed some type of tangible evidence to either vindicate herself or prove herself wrong and perhaps have an idea at what Albus was suggesting.

That was another problem troubling her. Albus was intrinsically a very closed off person. After learning of his terrible background, she had come quickly to accept that from him. Maintaining openness with others implied relinquishing control, making himself vulnerable to loss. It was a flaw, but one that Kalissa knew would be immensely difficult to change. With Albus, the truth was always revealed, albeit on his terms and at the moment he deemed opportune. Yet, despite his tendency to speak in equivocations and ambivalent tones, he never displayed the slightest wisp of emotion, the smallest sign of guilt at hiding the truth. With this crucial link between Voldemort and Harry, Albus was undoubtedly not giving her all the information she needed, but moreover, she detected traces of guilt and even more troubling, distress. Kalissa's heart skipped a beat when she realized that whatever he was hiding about this connection may possibly be quite agitating, even to disturb Albus' seemingly impervious ease and calmness. Perhaps, the nature of this information could explain why his attitude about Snape continued to remain so cryptic.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kalissa noticed something glowing on the dining room table. Lifting herself out of her reverie, she stood up from the settee, walking to the table. With a wave of her wand, she cleared away the parchment to reveal a glowing mirror.

Kalissa gasped in shock. That mirror had not glowed in 17 years. Kalissa quickly tapped her wand against the mirror, enunciating her name to it. Immediately, a familiar blue eye appeared. And then a sentence weaved itself onto the glass, the gold words cutting into Kalissa.

_Come now. Hogwarts is in danger._

Kalissa blinked to ensure that her vision was not distorted. She tried speaking to the mirror, but the blue eye, eerily devoid of the reassuring twinkle, disappeared. Indeed, Albus had contacted her with the mirror. Something terrible must have happened at Hogwarts for him to need her, to ask her to come out of hiding. Hogwarts needed her help. Kalissa repeated this to herself; the place, where there were so many innocent children, so many of the Professors she regarded as friends, the boy who ultimately may grow into the wizarding world's savior, and Natalie.

And thinking of Natalie, she was abruptly jerked from her dazed state. She quickly changed out of her pajamas, waving her wand to send all the parchment and books on her dining room table to their proper places before checking that the wards on the house had not broken. Then, after casting a Disillusion charm on herself, Kalissa ran out of the home, entering the magical village where she lived as Loraine Kolten, a retired witch formerly employed at the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts department in the Ministry. The disguise was genuine as a Loraine Kolten used to work for the office, but now worked in Ireland. Her supposed identity allowed Kalissa to live in the magical village of Calloton, a place with many people loyal to Albus Dumbledore and who were instructed to watch for any sign of Death Eaters of Dark Magic.

Once she felt the tingle signaling that she had left the Anti-Apparation wards surrounding her home, Kalissa twisted on the spot, her mind squarely focused on the place she had spent most of her life.

Kalissa landed with a sharp crack on the edge of nthe Forbidden Forest. Her heart skipped another beat as the far too familiar Dark Mark draped the evening sky over the castle. She could see a many flashes of light coming from the Entrance hall as well as a few more flashes coming from the path that led to Hogsmeade.

She knew the Aurors would be apparating into Hogsmeade and the Death Eater attack on the village would be quickly suppressed. Though she did not require the rationalization, Kalissa started running along the path to the Entrance Hall.

A jet of blue light came zooming at her from her right. Expecting for there to Death Eaters hidden outside, Kalissa had already conjured a shield and the blue light rebounded off the shield, heading straight for its caster.

Hearing the rustling of shoes, Kalissa swept her wand as she rotated herself in a full circle. A bright yellow light flashed all over the ground, revealing all the Death Eaters ready to attack her. She saw one to her right, one in front of her to the right and another standing directly in front of the Entrance Hall. As she reversed the spell and dodged the three Killing Curses fired over her head, Kalissa imagined the three figures in her head and swept her wand again. She grinned to herself as now three orange dots appeared in the same positions the Death Eaters had stood.

Kalissa pointed her wand at one of the spots, silently casting "_Aeronaugio!"_ Not waiting for the subsequent groan of pain and the thumping of a body on the ground, Kalissa aimed her wand at the other two scurrying orange dots who shooting spells in the complete opposite direction Kalissa stood. One after other, she silently fired two "Impedimenta" curses that successfully hit their intended targets.

Kalissa again lit the ground with her wand, looking for anymore hidden Death Eaters. She quickly waved her wand over the three fallen men, tying them together with Anti-Apparation ropes. She hit each of them with jets of blue light, making sure they were unconscious and severely weakened for a very long time. Sweeping her wand over at the lanterns on the walls of the castle, Kalissa moved her wand in a slow, complicated motion. The lanterns re-lit themselves, bringing light to the ground once again. The Aurors would at least be able to see what they were facing.

Before walking forward, Kalissa closed her eyes, composing herself. She summoned all of her hatred and pure contempt for the ideology and cruelty Death Eaters embodied, remembering all the lives they had ruined. She needed this seething, burning hatred to produce the desire for death, the desire required to cast the Killing Curse. After seeing the Dark Mark, Kalissa knew she would have to be merciless.

She continued moving to the Entrance hall. Once she reached the door, she cast a Silencing charm around herself before stepping over the threshold. At the sight before her, Kalissa gritted her teeth in anger. The entire hall looked completely destroyed. Portraits were ripped apart, suits of armor broken, windows shattered with shards of glass lying all over the floor, stones falling from cracked walls. The Order looked to have their hands full;each Order member or student was fighting one Death Eater with many holding back two.

Seeing a blond haired man wildly shooting Killing Curses in every direction, Kalissa slashed her wand at him. A jet of blue light cut through his chest, sending him falling to the ground.

That spell alerted the nearest two Death Eaters to her presence. Both immediately jerked their bodies from a blonde haired girl and a stout, brown haired boy who looked to be dodging the Death Eaters' Unforgivables with astounding agility.

"Malkae!" hissed the nearest Death Eater Kalissa recognized as Pawson. Before he could raise his wand, Kalissa had her wand pointed in his chest. She whispered, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

His eyes widened in surprise as the curse hit him in the chest, sending him to the ground dead.

Kalissa banished the pieces of a suit of armor onto the other screaming Death Eater. As he swiped away at the shards of armor, she sent a ball of fire that scorched his face brutally. Then to complete his misery, she struck him with a Killing curse, coldly watching the green light swallow his screaming body.

"Are you alright?" asked Kalissa kindly to the girl and boy who were staring at the two dead bodies with their mouths wide open.

They both barely nodded, avoiding her eyes. Kalissa was slightly annoyed at the fearful expressions on their faces. "Go help the Weasleys," ordered Kalissa, gesturing to the pack of red haired people taking on an equally large group of Death Eaters.

She turned around to see how the remaining Order members were faring. She spotted Remus and a pink haired girl Kalissa presumed to be Nymphadora Tonks struggling against the sneering faces of Dolohov and Rookwood.

Kalissa thrust her wand in a complex motion, focusing on the animal in her mind. Out of her wand flowed the shadow of a majestic, golden eagle that flew into those two Death Eaters, surprising them.

"Ah, Malkae, it's so nice that you've come to join the party." shrieked Dolohov, cackling in laughter. He vanished the Eagle, pointing his wand at her. "One of your old tricks I see."

Kalissa easily blocked the purple jet of light fired her way. "It looks like we still use the same curses, Antonin."

She saw Nymphadora barely get out of the way of the Killing curse shot by Rookwood.

Moving alongside them, Kalissa took over the duel, transfiguring the pieces of rubble into razor sharp knives and sending those knives hurtling at Dolohov and Rookwood.

Dolohov snarled as he swiped away the knives with his wand but Kalissa used the moment of hesitation to start her attack upon him. She noticed with a grin that a couple of knives caught Rookwood in the shoulder.

As she conjured another Eagle to bother the two, Kalissa turned to a relieved looking Remus and Tonks. "Where are the others?" said Kalissa, not keeping her eyes off Dolohov. From experience, she knew he had a surprisingly fast and accurate wand.

"A group of them, including Natalie and Minerva, are fighting the smaller pack of Death Eaters- on one of the higher floors- we do not know where," said Remus out of the corner of his mouth as he fired three stunners in succession that Rookwood blocked.

Kalissa sighed in relief. Minerva would take care of Natalie.

"I'll take care of these two," said Kalissa, taking control of the situation. "You two can go help the other group- . If they're done, tell them to come help us here."

"Go!" shouted Kalissa, noticing the hesitation on Tonks and Remus' faces.

She summoned a suit of armor in front of them to absorb the Killing curses shot by Rookwood and Dolohov, frantically motioning for them both of them to leave. Still looking at Kalissa warily, Remus and Tonks nodded before leaving.

Once Tonks and Remus started running away, Kalissa turned her full attention to the sneering faces launching curses at her.

"Just like old times, isn't it Kalissa?" snarled Dolohov, jets of yellow, blue and green light issuing from his wand.

"We must think alike," noted Kalissa disdainfully as she returned fire at the two of them, keeping up a relentless stream of curses and jinxes while blocking or sidestepping the Dark magic fired at her.

"I have to say the two of you have improved quite a bit," drawled Kalissa, winking at them.

"And you have not," sneered Rookwood, his eyes flashing maliciously.

"As always, your humility astounds me," said Kalissa scornfully.

As she founds herself in a more comfortable rhythm of deflecting curses and attacking, she realized she could not use the Killing curse; if she missed, one of the Weasleys would be in the direct line of fire. Dolohov and Rookwood were very fast as she expected and had a vast assortment of Dark curses to use on her. But she knew once she forced them to expend energy on Unforgivables, their reflexes would be slightly slower and the opportunity would present itself for her.

As she fired four Blasting curses at them, Kalissa decided on her course of action. While they easily conjured shields to absorb the impact of the curses, Kalissa aimed her wand a spot just behind them, imagining a roaring flame before muttering "_Combustio!"_ A loud, popping sound emerged from the floor behind the two with scorching, yellow flames appearing.

Kalissa shot two more Stunners to prevent them from extinguishing the fire. While they deflected the curses, she quickly used the moment of distraction to sweep her wand in a circle at the fire, thinking "_Encasio!"_ Immediately, the flames roared, wrapping themselves around the two men.

"What the hell!" yelled Rookwood. "_Aguamenti! Aguamenti! Aguamenti!_"

"That's not going to help us, you idiot," Dolohov spat, attempting to transfigure the fire into something else.

Kalissa knew the flames would not burn them although the exploding and crackling sounds of the fire along with the way the flames resembled a creature trying to swallow them would distract the two from this observation.

While they tried to ward off the flames, Kalissa fired two Cutting curses at Rookwood, the one who was not looking at her.

"Rookwood, watch out!" screamed Dolohov but he was too busy with the flames to help out his comrade. The Cutting curses connected with Rookwood's face, sending him sprawling to the ground, blood oozing from his face. She slashed her wand through the air; a yellow light swallowed Rookwood's body, knocking him unconscious.

Before Dolohov could be alerted to the fact that the fire had not burned Rookwood's face, Kalissa quickly reversed her spell, vanishing the flames before she levitated one of her transfigured knives from behind an unaware Dolohov. To Kalissa's satisfaction, he started madly shooting Killling Curses at a frantic pace. As the knife slowly glided towards him, Kalissa kept the enraged Death Eater occupied with an assortment of milder jinxes and hexes, hoping to relax him.

"I thought you enjoyed Unforgivables, Malkae?" leered Dolohov, a smile creeping onto his features though he still watched her warily.

"I'd rather make your death painful," Kalissa hissed, smiling coldly at him. And then when she saw the knife was only a few feet away, she shuffled her feet so she was directly in line with him before jerking her wand toward herself, thinking "_Accio!_ " The knive zoomed straight into Dolohov's back.

"AHHHHHHHH!" screamed Dolohov in anguishing pain. Kalissa fired two more Cutting curses at his face, causing him to scream louder. As she prepared to kill both him and Rookwood, two more Death Eaters ran over from the Weasleys, shooting Killing curses at her.

"Bloody persistent, you lot are!" muttered Kalissa, using more suits of armor to block the Killing curses. She waved her wand in a figure eight motion, picturing a different animal than the eagle. This time, the miniature figure of a Hungarian Horntail issued out of her wand, breathing fire and hissing at the confused Death Eaters who were jumping out of the way of the flames.

"Not the smartest ones in the class, were you?" Kalissa said dramatically. She struck one of the Death Eaters in the chest with a jet of purple light. As the other one raised his wand to fire an Unforgivable at her, Kalissa slid over so that none of the Weasleys stood behind him. Before he could mutter the words, Kalissa raised her wand, hissing, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

His face went blank as he was encased in green light, falling to the floor, his body lifeless.

"FRED!" screamed a high pitched female voice.

Kalissa swiveled her head to see a stocky red haired boy flying high through the air, his arms flailing.

Kalissa quickly aimed her wand at him, mentally visioning a cushion of air under him to slow the fall. He floated to the floor, stumbling on his feet as he landed.

"Thanks a lot," said Fred, grinning at her sheepishly.

"Not a problem," replied Kalissa, moving over to where the Weasley children were watching their father wave his wand at the door leading to the staircase to the Astronomy Tower.

"It looks like they set up a barrier that Fred rebounded off," explained Arthur, wiping his brow.

"We had those bloody cowards cornered," said a boy, who appeared to be Fred's twin. He slapped his brother on the back. "Alright there, Fred?"

"I'm doing just dandy," said Fred jovially, casting his arm around his brother's back.

"Are you Kalissa?" said the red haired girl, looking at her curiously. Kalissa surmised that the girl was Ginny Weasley, the same person who Natalie famously hexed on the first evening of the school year.

"Yes," answered Kalissa, shaking the girl's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Arthur, need a hand there?"

"I think I know what spell they used," said Arthur, narrowing his eyes at the barrier. "It should only be a few seconds."

"Let her try, dad," said Ginny impatiently. "Didn't you see what she did to Dolohov and Rookwood?"

"Bloody brilliant!" exclaimed the twins in unison.

"Ah, got it," said Arthur excitedly. Kalissa heard the tingling which indicated the barrier had been lifted.

"We'll take care of those Death Eaters," said Arthur, looking at Kalissa. "Do you want to check on the others?"

"I don't think that's necessary," Fred stated, motioning his head behind Kalissa.

She jerked her body to see Minerva and the Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt, entering from the staircase Remus and Tonks had exited through.

"Where is everybody?" said Kalissa, rushing towards Minerva.

"Natalie is safe," answered Minerva consolingly. "I sent Nymphadora and Natalie to check on the common rooms of all the houses."

She then looked gravely at the Weasleys. "I'm afraid Bill was attacked by Greyback-

"By Greyback!" shrieked Ginny, her hands over her mouth. The smiles vanished off the twins' faces as they stared fearfully at Minerva.

"What happened, Minerva?" said Arthur, his eyes clouded, a stricken fear blanketing his face.

"Greyback did not bite him," said Kingsley firmly. "But he will have scars. Ron and Hermione took him, Remus and Fleur to the Hospital Wing."

"Remus fought off Greyback, but the curse he used exhausted him," said Minerva, exchanging a knowing glance with Kalissa. "Fleur is unconscious but is fine."

"Kingsley, Minerva and I will follow the remaining Death Eaters," said Kalissa, realizing how much time they had lost. "Arthur, can you bind these ones?"

"Go check on Bill," said Minerva firmly. "The Aurors will be coming soon."

Arthur nodded tiredly, beckoning for them to leave. Minerva, Kingsley and Kalissa all sprinted through the door, up the staircase and arrived at the landing that led to the Astronomy Tower.

As soon they stepped into the landing, three jets of green light came hurtling their way. Kalissa pushed Kingsley and Minerva to the side while she ducked below the third Killing Curse.

"There's only three of them!" shouted a stocky, female woman in a very unpleasant voice.

"Alecto Carrow," said Kalissa disgustedly, firing a Stunner at the woman.

"Ah, dear Kalissa," drawled an equally pudgy man.

Kingsley's Blasting curse barely missed him, breaking a hole in the wall.

"How I hate Aurors!" shouted the man, returning fire on Kingsley.

Seeing Minerva beginning to exchange curses with Alecto, Kalissa focused her attention on the remaining two Death Eaters guarding the door leading to the Astronomy Tower.

"I see they're recruiting very young now, aren't they?" said Kalissa, easily blocking the Stunners sent from the two masked figures. She fired a couple of Blasting curses that they barely dodged before starting a relentless barrage of jinxes that pushed them away from the door leading to the Astronomy Towr.

"Who are you?" said the bigger of the two, firing a Killing curse that missed Kalissa badly. Both of them were starting to look very nervous.

Before either of them could lift their wands again, Kalissa blinded them with a flash of orange light. She then sent the burly one crashing into the wall with a well timed "Aeronaugio."

As she aimed her wand at the smaller one, a blinding silver light pierced the room. Kalissa shielded her eyes along with all the other inhabitants. She saw a figure with black robes and long, black hair sweep through the room and past the doorway into the Astronomy Tower.

"Kalissa, watch out!" Minerva bellowed.

Kalissa immediately rotated her body in the general direction of the voice. Two Killing curses were zooming towards her from the two positions Kingsley and Minerva had situated. Kalissa dove out of the way Killing curses, hearing the padding of shoes on the ground. The Carrows were clearly trying to follow the mysterious, dark haired person into the Astronomy Tower.

Kalissa shot three Stunners in the direction of the doorway, hearing Kingsley do the same. She breathed in satisfaction when she heard a groan of pain and the subsequent thud of a body on the ground.

"Bye, bye," drawled Alecto from behind. "For another time, Kalissa!"

"Damn it!" exclaimed Kalissa. "Minerva, do you know what spell is creating this silver light?"\

"I do not know," answered Minerva in frustration.

"Doesn't Albus like using silver light?" asked Kingsley.

"Of course!" said Minerva. "This might actually be one of his spells." Kalissa heard Minerva muttering to herself for a few moments before she exclaimed, "Oh yes, that's it." The silver light quickly dissipated, flowing like a liquid into Minerva's wand.

"The black haired man we saw must have been Severus," Minerva stated in realization with a small smile. "He's the only other one Albus has taught the spell."

"Severus?" said Kingsley uneasily. "What is he doing with the Carrows?"

Kalissa had already moved to the invisible barrier, trying to determine the spells and curses that underlined this mass of air. Concluding that a Dark Mark was needed to enter through the barrier, she began experimenting with the Dark Arts protection spells she knew that would use a physical mark for entry. She had managed to determine that there were four spells holding the barrier in place and had reversed two of them.

"I do not know why Severus would be with them," said Minerva. "But he'll ensure they do not do too much damage. Need any help, Kalissa?"

"No, it's a bit trickier than the one Arthur removed earlier. I can feel the Dark magic radiating off this one- the other wall seemed to be a combination of a repelling charm and solidifying transfiguration," said Kalissa, frantically trying to think of the more obscure Dark curses. "I don't have a good feeling about this, Minerva. There's something on the Astronomy Tower that they obviously want."

"Or somebody," noted Kingsley, voicing the unspoken realization among the three.

"They will be leaving the Astronomy Tower through the other staircase, especially if they think we are still here," said Kalissa. "The one you can access from that portrait of the horse on the fifth floor. It's far away but you should two should go to that staircase while I remove the barrier."

"I was about to suggest the same plan," said Kingsley with a smile.

Minerva nodded at her. "We'll try to cut them off. Be careful, Kalissa," warned Minerva before she and Kingsley ran to the staircase on the opposite wall.

"And you too, Minerva," called Kalissa after them. She continued to run through the list of Dark wards in her mind.

"Ah, have it," said Kalissa, grimacing in disgust. The Carrows had used a particularly malicious set of curses that would have caused a person not bearing the Dark Mark to have their limbs dismembered. Tapping her wand at various points along the invisible barrier while thinking of a specific set of runes in her mind that would nullify the effects of the spells, she felt the two remaining curses lift from the doorway. Testing the existence of the barrier, Kalissa banished a stone towards it. With a sigh of relief, she saw the stone fly straight through the doorway.

Casting a Silencing charm around herself, Kalissa stepped onto the staircase, hurrying along the many flights of stairs. Once she was closer to the top of the tower, unmistakable delight and laugher reached her ears. She quickened her pace, her wand ready as she heard the scurrying sounds of footsteps. Hopefully, Kingsley and Minerva reached the other set of stairs.

Reaching the parapet where the tower opened, Kalissa groaned in frustration. It was empty; they had already left. She looked around, trying to find the source of their delight but as she decided that nothing or no one was left on the tower, a familiar boy with spectacles and untidy raven hair appeared out of thin air.

Instinctively, Kalissa pressed her wand against the boy's throat.

"It's me, Harry. I was under the Invisibility cloak" croaked the boy. "They're getting away. Let's go!"

"Who is Natalie's father?" Kalissa asked, staring straight into his eyes.

"Do you we have to do this now? It's David Claggerton. Come on, we're wasting time!"

Harry pushed past her, his hands trembling and his eyes clouded in anger. Seeing the visible shaking of his body, Kalissa wanted to ask what happened although with a sharp lurch of her stomach, she inferred that something terrible had happened. Various ideas unraveled themselves in her mind but she shook her head, trying to harden her resolve. She needed to follow Harry and find the Carrows first.

Kalissa ran after Harry, almost leaping down the stairs, ready to fire at anything that came her way. When they reached the landing she hoped Kingsley and Minerva situation, her stomach again dropped at the sight of nobody.

"The Carrows went through that door!" shouted Harry, pointing towards the door that opened onto the corridor connected to the entrance into the Greenhouses. "I'll take Snape and Malfoy."

Kalissa nodded, feeling that the Carrows of the two groups seemed like the more dangerous option.

"Be careful, Harry," said Kalissa. "Obviously, Malfoy is more dangerous than he seems."

"And Snape definitely is," said Harry savagely, a dangerous glint to his eyes.

Kalissa blinked at the way it pained him to say the name. What had Snape done? Surely, he had not killed anyone. And where was Albus? She presumed that he was still handling the Horcrux and had ordered Harry to return to the castle. Kalissa gulped as she chased after the Carrows. Albus certainly couldn't be dead? But a heaviness settled in her stomach, the dread biting at her, the immense shock and terror pushing her onto a precipice. She could not help but feel that Harry's reaction could easily explained by this fact.

She was lifted from her reverie as a jet of red light sailed over her head. She could make out the stocky figures of the two Carrows in front of her. They were coming very close to the Hufflepuff common rooms, but were not running at a fast pace.

She fired two Blasting curses at their backs. One of them barely missed Alecto while her brother blocked the other one.

As Kalissa turned the corner, she saw Kingsley, Minerva and Professor Sprout dueling three more Death Eaters outside the Hufflepuff common rooms with the aid of several of the senior students. Thankfully, the entrance was sealed.

The Carrows leapt out of the way of Kingsley and Minerva's Stunners, jumping through a tapestry that Kalissa knew led to a passage connecting to one of the Greenhouses.

"Don't worry, I'll take them," Kalissa responded to the questioning looks on Minerva and Professor Sprout's faces. She opened the tapestry, ducking her head as two jets of blue light zoomed over head into the wall above.

"Horrible aim, you Death Eaters have," breathed Kalissa, continuing to run after them. They descended the nearest staircase and arrived in Greenhouse #3.

Once Kalissa opened the door, she immediately slid her body away from the sharp thorns of a swinging cactus. She stepped onto the path that led to the exit from the Greenhouse, running after the Carrows while blocking and deflecting their sporadic hexes.

As she pushed herself out of the door, she finally had a clear view of the two Death Eaters running across the ground to the Forbidden Forest. Realizing that they were moving too fast for her to aim properly, she pointed her wand to a spot a few feet in front of her, again muttering, "_Combustio!_" while picturing the same roaring flame.

Kalissa smiled at the exclamations of shock and anger coming from the Carrows. Running forward to catch them, she aimed her wand at the flame, whispering, "_Encasio!"_

Seeing that the Carrows had now stopped, Kalissa banished a nearby tree branch straight towards them. The branch caught both of them unaware, smashing into their chests.

Kalissa vanished the fire, now only a few feet away from them. As Alecto reached for her fallen wand, Kalissa knocked her unconscious with a jet of yellow light.

Amcyus pushed himself from the ground, a furious snarl on his face. "_Avada-_

Kalissa had already thought of her Killing curse. The jet of green light struck him squarely on the chest, dropping his lifeless body to the ground.

Kalissa waved her wand over Alecto's body. Thin, taut ropes appeared, coiling themselves around the woman. She levitated the body to the Greenhouse, dropping it by the entrance.

As she placed Alecto's body on the ground, she heard an explosion from the front of the castle, smoke billowing into the air. Kalissa, breathing heavily, ran towards the smoke, around the Greenhouses, past the Entrance Hall and into the source of the smoke: Hagrid's burning hut.

The Death Eaters seemed to have escaped as both Harry and Hagrid were using "Agoumenti" to extinguish the flames. Imagining a blanket of water draping the flames, Kalissa waved her wand in a shape that closely replicated the box-cone shape of the house. Abruptly, the building was soaked in water and the fire extinguished.

She nodded at a very distraught Hagrid who smiled at her in gratitude.

"Did the Death Eaters leave?" Kalissa asked as she stepped past Hagrid, placing a comforting arm on his shoulder.

"Yeh," said Hagrid, gazing at his house with very red eyes. "Ruddy cowards."

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Kalissa sharply. The boy had begun kicking branches viciously, running his hands wildly through his hair.

"No, this can't be happening-it's a dream," muttered Harry to himself, sitting on the ground.

"Harry, yeh alright?" said Hagrid in concern, moving closer to the extremely agitated boy.

"It's a dream," Harry repeated, a dazed expression unfolding over his face. In a much softer, barely audible tone, he whispered, "He didn't do that, didn't fall."

"Harry, what happened on the tower?" said Kalissa quietly, the expectation of something terrible rising within her.

Harry finally looked at her. He looked about twenty years older, the lines ingrained firmly on his face, the cheeks absolutely pale, his hands trembling. But what troubled Kalissa the most was the look of pure hatred on his face.

"Snape KILLED him!" screamed Harry. As the words crashed out of his mouth, tears cascaded out of his eeys.

"Professor Snape wouldn't kill anybody, Harry," said Hagrid gently.

"I saw it," whispered Harry, his eyes a bright, vivid green.

Kalissa walked over to Harry, lifting his body with her arms.

"What happened?" Kalissa asked softly, her heart pounding against her chest. The first inklings of shock were reaching her.

"Dumbledore," said Harry, shaking. "He's d-dead… Snape k-killed him. I saw him using the Killing curse with my own eyes."

Kalissa's hold tightened on Harry. She fell from her precipice; the delicate thread of hope and expectation snapped. The terror, fear and crushing devastation she expected as soon as she heard Harry utter Snape's name became real. Shock paralyzed her. Terror gripped her. And devastation throttled her.

Then suddenly, a horrible hollowness pervaded her senses. She was drowning in nothingness, her conception of her self dissipating. Her emotions felt so inconsequential, so powerless. Some terrible force of inevitability had finally caught up with her, cutting her open. Her eyes glazed over, barely registering the noise of the crowd under the Astronomy Tower, the way in which Hagrid gaped at Harry, traces of protest still evident in his eyes.

"NOOOOO!" shouted Hagrid. He let out a terrible cry of anguish, his body convulsing with the sobs.

Both Kalissa and Harry lifted their heads to see Hagrid running madly towards the crowd under the Astronomy Tower. Kalissa closed her eyes. She needed to compose herself, force herself to see this body and then find Natalie and Minerva and tell them the terrible news.

Releasing Harry from her embrace, Kalissa held Harry's hand in her own, leading him to the crowd of people. Each step seemed to require an exceedingly amount of effort, the fear continuing to climb from her abdomen to her chest, then to her throat where it threatened to spill into her mouth. Harry, besides her, breathed slowly, his hands a parched white, his face stricken.

Once they reached the crowd and pushed through all the horrified faces, Kalissa let go of Harry's hand, gasping at the sight before her. Hagrid knelt besides the familiar white hair, purple robes, wrinkled hands and most chillingly, the blue eyes that would be without their twinkle forever.

And then, seeing those eyes, the shock left Kalissa. A grieving sadness filled her, sinking to her bones. Another friend was lost to the sea of memories. She would never see those sparkling eyes, hear the cheerful voice, sigh at the annoying equivocation and most importantly, feel the undeniable warmth radiating from his presence. He was gone to her. Another hole Voldemort created in her past. Another person to contemplate, to wonder about what could have been, to cry for the fate he never deserved. A heavy weight settled into the pit of her stomach. The aching sensation of loss again was so acute, so devouring.

Kalissa moved over to kneel besides Hagrid, casting an arm on the elbow of the half giant. She saw Harry kneel besides her. He stared with the same dazed expression at the still face. Kalissa swallowed. Death was so relentless, so merciless in its reach.

"I'm sorry, Albus," whispered Kalissa, leaning her face to press a kiss on his forehead. She gently closed his eyes, allowing herself one last caress of his face.

Memories began to unearth themselves in her mind. She remembered first meeting Albus as an excited first year. She still could not forget the security and wonder he aroused in her. She remembered her first detention with him; the bright smile and the way his eyes twinkled at her nervousness, then her frequent and animated talks with him throughout the years as a student when they both bonded in their distrust of Tom Riddle. She recalled his invitation for her to teach Arithmancy; the sheer joy that burst within her when she read the letter. And then, when she became closer to him in the struggle against her Voldemort, the complete understanding in his eyes, the patience and warmth he showed to her as she lost so much and lastly, his own complete happiness at her decision to take in and raise Natalie despite the fact that it would take her away to Bulgaria.

Kalissa swallowed, wiping the tears away from hereyes. She was certain Harry and Hagrid were also musing over their own memories. The man truly did touch everyone he met, leaving an imprint that always triggered a mystical warmth.

Harry gripped her hand. She turned her eyes to meet his slightly less troubled gaze. Understanding the question in his eyes, Kalissa nodded, helping him stand.

"Hagrid, we will be going to the Hospital wing if you need us," said Kalissa in a tone soft enough so only that he could hear.

They walked in silence past all the curious, sympathetic stares along the path into the castle. Stepping through the parting crowd in the Entrance Hall, Kalissa desperately tried to forget the source of the commotion downstairs, the reason so many students were rushing past them outside and so many more were looking at each other with frightened, shocked expressions.

Everything was so surreal. It barely registered in her mind that they were walking towards the Hospital wing, that the castle was atypically alive and buzzing with activity past midnight and that a murder had just been committed at the school. Every moment, her mind flashed to the still body and the pale, withered face, the stinging sensation of loss emerged, cutting into her. The memories tried to push and unravel themselves in her mind to forcefully remind her again of the man who they and she lost.

The man who always seemed so impervious to the hatred and violence Voldemort spread. Never once conceiting defeat, never placing his own security and protection above the more vulnerable, the ones who Voldemort would exploit. Kalissa shook her head. Natalie, Minerva and the others needed to be informed. Dwelling on her loss was selfish. She lifted her head as they arrived at the corridor leading to the Hospital wing. She needed to occupy her mind and find a thought to push those memories back.

And then, she realized with an angry surge of emotion that she had been so focused on the murder that she had yet to consider the murderer. For Albus to be killed by one of his most loyal followers…. the act seemed so astonishingly unreal to her. Cold fury mounted within her at the thought of Severus Snape. Perhaps she had been wrong about Snape. All this time, then had he lied to Albus, secretly been plotting his murder? Kalissa gritted his teeth. If she saw Snape again, the Killing curse would be on the cusp of her mouth.

But, then an unusually calmer, more puzzled sensation assuaged the contempt building in her. With a jolt, she remembered her suspicions about his reasons to turn spy and thereby his involvement in the connection between Voldemort and Harry. He undoubtedly possessed very strong feelings for Lily Evans, judging by the photograph Natalie saw. So much evidence pointed to an unwavering loyalty to Order and more importantly, Dumbledore, but now, he existed as the ruthless murderer of Albus Dumbledore. Why kill another Death Eater to save Natalie if he was always loyal to Voldemort? Why would he consistently help to save Muggles and Muggleborns without informing his master? And then the question that Kalissa could not fathom: why betray the one person who trusted him for another man who killed the woman he may have loved?

Once they opened the door of the Hospital wing, Kalissa could not help but feel that there was something that could answer all those questions, an important fact she was missing.

She spotted Minerva and Kingsley huddled together, anxiously conversing with each other at the right corner of them. As they reached the pair, Minerva rushed over to Kalissa, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"Is it true?" asked Minerva in an eerily high pitched tone. "Is Albus-

"Dead," Kalissa finished. She released Harry's hand and pulled Minerva into a tight embrace. Stroking her friend's back, Kalissa could not hold back her tears as she felt Minerva's body convulse under her hands, the tears flowing into her hair. Minerva was closer to Albus. For her, the shock would be more numbing, the sadness more painful and the devastation more acute.

Behind Minerva, Kingsley lowered himself onto the floor, a sad expression on his face. He placed his hands over his face, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"Snape killed him. I saw it…the_ Avada Kedavra_," said Harry quietly. His voice had an unnervingly blank and hollow note.

"Is this true?" cried Minerva, pulling back from Kalissa. Despite the pained expression on Minerva's face, she could easily hear the pure shock in her voice.

"Harry saw it and Snape was with the Death Eaters if you remember," said Kalissa, staring into her friend's suddenly angry eyes.

"He lied to all of us," said Kingsley bitterly. "That coward."

"The traitor!" shrieked Minerva, her expression changing to pure outrage. "How dare he-

"Minerva, I know," said Kalissa with a grim smile. She wrapped her arms consolingly around her friend once more.

"Where is everyone else?" asked Kalissa, looking around the Hospital wing to see who was injured and if there were any casualties. She saw Madam Pomfrey attending to about a dozen students in the dormitory.

"Remus, Hermione and the Weasleys are at the back of the Infirmary," Kingsley replied somberly. "Bill was attacked by Greyback and Fleur was hit by a Death Eater's curse. One of the Death Eaters' Cutting curses struck Ron in the leg- he was bleeding quite a bit but he will be fine I think."

Harry's face paled and he looked like he was ready to run to the back of the wing, but as he turned his back, he quickly jerked his face back to Minerva. From the frantic expression on his face, Kalissa surmised that he had also noticed Kingsley's omission.

"Where's Natalie?" said Kalissa and Harry in unison.

"I sent Pomona and Horace to Ravenclaw tower to tell her and Nymphadora to return to the Hospital Wing," answered Minerva calmly. "There appeared to be no Death Eaters in that part of the castle- I suspect Bilius, with his dueling skills, may have scared them off. Knowing him, he likely sealed off the Ravenclaw common room and Natalie and Nymphadora are trapped in there with all the Ravenclaw students."

"Oh," exclaimed Harry though his gaze still flickered uneasily towards the door. Like her, he wanted to check Ravenclaw Tower for himself to ensure Natalie was safe.

Looking back towards the sealed ward at the back of the wing, Harry let out an exhausted breath. "I think I will see how the others are doing." Harry swallowed. "Do they know-

"No," said Kingsley, lifting himself from the floor. "I'll come with you."

Harry nodded at Kingsley's encouraging smile as both of them walked towards the ward.

Watching their retreating backs, Kalissa asked, "How many people were hurt or killed?

"None of the students were killed," continued Minerva, wiping her eyes. "About a dozen students were hit with some of the milder hexes; a couple of them were caught by Dark Curses. However, the injuries sustained, I do not think, are irreparable. Unfortunately, a few Aurors and a few of the Hogsmeade residents were murdered."

"Oh," said Kalissa. Another wave of sadness washed over her. "How did the Death Eaters manage to enter?"

"In the Room of Requirement, there is a Vanishing cabinet that connects to the one in Borgin and Burkes," explain Minerva, her eyes flashing angrily. "And Draco Malfoy managed to open the connection between the two."

"He did that?" said Kalissa in astonishment. "Surely, Albus must have known about the cabinet?"

"Severus surely knew," spat Minerva. She pronounced Snape's name as if it was something completely vile and detestable.

"And then, what about the Death Eaters that came into Hogsmeade?"

"Rosmerta was under the Imperius curse," said Minerva, shaking her head. "Malfoy had her under the curse

"That warrants a sentence in Azkhaban," said Kalissa furiously.

"I agree," assented Minerva. "Anyway, the Death Eaters used her to establish an apparition point in one of the rooms of the inn. The apparition was completely undetectable- silencing charms, spells that reversed the signal wards cast by the Ministry. When enough of them entered, they basically swarmed the pub and the village. Naturally, the Aurors were taken by surprise."

"What happened to Rosmerta?"

"She's alive," answered Minerva grimly. "But the Cruciatus curse was used on her- she's been taken to St. Mungo's. The Aurors said there was not any permanent mental damage but she was very traumatic."

"Oh, good," said Kalissa, breathing in relief. Her eyes darted again to the door to the hospital wing. Looking at her watch, she could not help but think with definite unease that at least one or two Death Eaters would have wandered into that part of the castle.

"Natalie will be here soon," said Minerva though her eyes also flickered worriedly to the door.

Kalissa nodded, her gaze now fixated on the door. "How did one boy cause all this mess?"

"I do not know," said Minerva in frustration.

"How did Albus not pick up on this?" continue Kalissa in disbelief. "Malfoy must have been behind the Bell and Weasley attack. Albus must-

Minerva gasped as the doors to the Hospital wing opened. Kalissa stopped speaking, her mouth wide open at the sight before her.

Three bodies drenched in blood were carried on stretchers. Two of them were Ravenclaw students and the third, to Kalissa's horror, resembled Bilius Flitwick. Pomona Sprout and Horace Slughorn followed the bodies with grave expressions on their face.

"What happened?" whispered Kalissa, her breathing hitched. All three bodies looked sickeningly twisted with large gashes and cuts spread all over their chest, legs, arms and faces.

"All three of them are alive-barely," replied Pomona, her eyes averted from the three stretchers as Madam Pomfrey immediately arrived, hustling and bustling to find more blood replenishing potions. "Whoever did this definitely employed Unforgivables as well as what looks like some very severe cutting curses."

"Ravenclaw tower?" said Minerva, exchanging a tense glance with Kalissa.

"Yes," said Pomona. "Bilius must have sealed the common room but these students and a few others were caught outside by the Death Eaters-

"Were Natalie and Nymphadora there?" interjected Kalissa, pacing around anxiously. Her breathing was becoming much faster, her nerves straining severely.

"We found Nymphadora," replied Pomona. "Some of my students are putting her and a few others on stretchers and bringing them here."

"What about Natalie?" asked Minerva sharply.

"I do not believe she was one of the unconscious students," said Horace slowly, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Oh no," gasped Kalissa. Pure dread clawed at the pits of her stomach. If no one saw Natalie, then there was only possible conclusion…

Another stretcher rolled into the Hospital wing. Two students ran behind the stretcher, guiding it with their wands. This one contained the limp form of the familiar pink haired woman.

Kalissa immediately stepped over to Nymphadora's side, stopping the stretcher with her wand. More stretchers passed her, accompanied by more students as they entered the Hospital wing to await treatment for their classmates.

"What spell was used on her?" muttered Kalissa, running over the possible curses in her mind.

"We don't know," replied one of the students worriedly. "She was the only one who wasn't bleeding but she looks badly beaten. _Ennervate_ did not work."

"The Death Eater who did this probably regards herself or himself above those type of hexes," said Kalissa absently. None of the general awakening charms were working

She then experimented with some of the darker spells that would cause a traumatic weakening of the victim but none of those counter curses worked. Nymphadora definitely had a pulse and her muscles were not flaccid. Deciding that maybe the Death Eater struck Nymphadora with a spell which compressed the lungs, lowering the breathing rate below a level that could sustain consciousness, Kalissa pressed her wand to Nymphadora's diaphragm, whispering a simple expansion charm.

She felt Nymphadora's chest inflate under her wand, the breaths emerging once the chest oscillated up and down. Kalissa closed her eyes in relief. She heard Minerva and the two students sigh behind her.

As she waited for Nymphadora to return to consciousness, a horrible conviction filled Kalissa that something horrible was happening right now to Natalie. Drumming her fingers on the siderail of the stretcher, Kalissa exchanged several panicked looks with Minerva. She could not keep the image of a certain black haired woman out of her mind, attempting to tell herself that many of the Death Eaters would want to take away the girlfriend of Harry Potter.

After seemingly an agonizing long time, Nymphadore's eyelids fluttered open.

"Professor McGonagall?" mumbled Nymphadora with a glazed look.

"Yes, Nymphadora," said Minerva gently, placing a hand softly on her cheek. "You're in the Hospital wing now- Madam Pomfrey will take care of you. Do you know who attacked you and where Natalie is?"

Nymphadora's eyes immediately cleared in realization. "Oh no," said Nymphadora, shaking. She looked fearfully at Kalissa. "Bellatrix was there- s-she was the one who attacked the students."

"And took Natalie away," finished Kalissa, her stomach churning violently.

"No," breathed Minerva, shaking her head vehemently. "No, Natalie must be somewhere in this castle."

"Nymphadora was there, Minerva," whispered Kalissa. Trying to contain the storm of emotion growing within her, she nodded at the two students. "Thank you for letting me speak to her. You can take her to Madam Pomfrey."

As they left, Kalissa closed her eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening. She heard Minerva drop into a chair besides her, exhaling sharply. All of the plans, efforts, worries and most importantly, her resolve to protect Natalie over the past 16 years were utterly fruitless. The idea of Bellatrix eventually snatching Natalie from her, always seemed like a terrible, morbid nightmare that hovered at the fringes of her mind, but now it was clear, crushing reality. The fate she tried to prevent ever since she saw the girl as a baby had finally caught them, reminding them forcefully of its all reaching inevitability.

Fear wound itself around her chest, the cords tautening as she thought of that sinister, haughty face. The face from which Natalie wanted to see a trace of compassion yet that hope would always remain a dream. There was no daughter for Bellatrix, only a girl she could ravage and exploit for her wild satisfaction, the same maniacal happiness that imbibed a relentless desire for Voldemort.

Natalie was with her at the very moment. The woman's hungry glare must be suffocating her, the cruel taunts and savage pleasure unnerving her and the inhumane coldness devastating her.

And then abruptly, Kalissa remembered Natalie's uncharacteristically leaning into her embrace when they talked about her first meeting with Bellatrix. Natalie needed her. She was being a complete fool, wasting time when she may never find the girl again. Her feelings could wait for later. Her daughter was in grave danger.

Kalissa opened her eyes, placing her hand on Minerva's shoulder. She took a long, deep breath, mentally making a list of all the place Bellatrix would take Natalie. The woman undoubtedly planned to eventually bring the girl to Voldemort. Kalissa shuddered. If it meant sacrificing her life, she would not let Natalie fall into _his _control. But now, Bellatrix would surely want to spend some time with the girl, exploit their connection and satisfy her curiosity.

"Are we going?" said Minerva, standing up. She swayed slightly and Kalissa caught her easily.

"I will go," said Kalissa firmly.

"No," protested Minerva. "I am coming with-

"What about all this?" cried Kalissa, gesturing around the Hospital wing. "There's a dead body outside and you saw what Bellatrix did to the students. You will be having some very angry and worried parents. Something this bad has not happened at Hogwarts in a very long time."

Minerva gritted her teeth. "Kalissa-

"No Minerva, I can take care of Bellatrix," continued Kalissa, gripping her friend's shouders tightly and staring directly into her eyes. "If I need help, I will contact you but I know Bellatrix. She'll want to spend time with Natalie alone."

Minerva looked like she was ready to fiercely object, but then sighed. She nodded, glancing warily at all the bodies around them."Go then, now."

"I will be seeing you in a few hours," Kalissa said with a small smile before turning on her heel and walking out of the Hospital wing.

As she reached the staircase leading to the Entrance Hall, a familiar deep voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm coming with you."

Kalissa turned around to see Harry staring at her, his wand at his side. Blank shock no longer draped his face, but rather the unwavering determination emerged in the bright, green eyes that held her gaze and the clenched jaw.

"I heard Tonks tell you," said Harry. "Let's go."

"Harry, I know you want to save Natalie," said Kalissa in exasperation, raising her hand to stop him. "But-

"I can help you," said Harry stubbornly. "And I am not taking no for an answer. Do you think I will twiddle my thumbs in the Hospital wing and wonder if you saved her, if she's still alive?"

Kalissa gritted her teeth at him. They had already lost so much time and she did not need a prolonged argument with him. "Fine. But when I tell you to do something, do it."

"Of course," said Harry. "Where are we going to apparate from?"

Kalissa's eyes widened. With the Aurors patrolling and the large crowd outside, apparition would attract attention.

"Stand still," ordered Kalissa. Grabbing Harry's hand, she quickly waved her wand over him, imagining his body fading to a transparent and shimmering figure in the air. After replicating the same motion and thoughts for herself, she nodded when they both were almost invisible.

"Come on," said Kalissa.

Together, they rapidly descended the stairs, sidestepping the people climbing up the stairs before sprinting through the Entrance hall onto the grounds and away from the crowd gathering around Albus' body.

"By that shrub on the edge of the forest," said Kalissa, looking at a spot where none of the Aurors stood.

Once they reached the shrub, Kalissa quickly cast Silencing charms in a rectangle around them before grabbing Harry's hand and twisting on the spot, her mind on the first possible location. The one place she secured the most because it was the neighbourhood Bellatrix would most liely seek.

They silently arrived in a narrow, dark alley. Kalissa immediately looked ahead, waving her wand in a conic motion to check for any signs of magic. She let out a frustrated breath when her spell revealed no indicator of recent spells.

"Where are we?" breathed Harry, following her at a rapid pace out of the alley.

"The neighbourhood in which Natalie's father used to live," said Kalissa as calmly as she could. Returning to this area of London always aroused a distinct unease and sadness within her.

"Oh," said Harry. "You think she would come here?"

"We will see, won't he?" snapped Kalissa as she again waved her wand, checking for any signs of magic. And once again, her scan revealed no results.

They crossed the road, taking a right at the pub that Kalissa remembered visiting many times sixteen years ago. Most of the houses were well lit and a few people were walking and conversing on the street. She could hear a very loud, exuberant chatter within the pub they passed. If Bellatrix had arrived, someone would have noticed her dragging Natalie, but Bellatrix knew the neighbourhood as well or even better than Kalissa. She would know which streets were devoid of activity in the evening. After walking through a more crowded street, they finally arrived on the street where David Claggerton's house should still have stood.

She motioned her head to an empty lot on the right hand side of the street. Harry nodded with a puzzled expression and they walked quietly towards the lot.

"There's nothing here," whispered Harry though his wand pointed at the empty space.

Kalissa closed her eyes in concentration. As vividly as she could, she imagined the house she rebuilt; the exact shade of navy blue that draped the building, the white outlines of its shutters and winders, its pointed, conic shape that always appeared more wizarding than Muggle and finally, the simple warmth she always associated with the house and its inhabitant. Feeling a tingling in her arm, Kalissa let her wand flow in an elegant, graceful motion that copied the shape of the house with its image firmly planted in her mind. As she felt the magic leave her, she opened her eyes. Hearing Harry breathe in surprise, Kalissa's vision suddenly sharpened. The house appeared, completely unscathed as it had for the past 16 years.

Kalissa swept her wand over the house to check for a magical signature not belonging to her. The only signature she found belonged to her.

"She's not here," said Harry, looking in a combination of wonder and exasperation at the building.

"No," answered Kalissa though she did not expect Bellatrix to manage a way to break through all the protection charms and shields she placed around the building.

"Let's go," said Kalissa, grabbing his arm. She again twisted them on the spot, focusing on the next destination in their mind.

They landed outside a very old, withered and decrepit looking mansion. Kalissa caught Harry before he stumbled to the ground.

"Lestrange manor," answered Kalissa before Harry could answer the question.

"It does not look-

"In a living condition," completed Kalissa, gritting her teeth in frustration. She waved her wand to check for recent magic, but yet again, she found no sign of any spells. "She's not here- there is no way we could have apparated to this spot if the Lestranges or Bellatrix were using the manor."

They were losing time now. Every second they wasted, Natalie had to endure the torture of that woman. Any longer and she might decide to bring the girl to Voldemort.

Kalissa pulled Harry toward her, turning on the spot again, hoping with all her strength that this next location would be the one. They arrived in front of a brick, apartment building that looked equally as deteriorated and degraded as the previous building.

"This looks like a Muggle building," noted Harry in confusion.

"Bellatrix used to live here," said Kalissa, waving her wand over the building. When herspell revealed no magic, she took another sharp intake of breath, her heart beginning another episode of frantic pounding. Uncharacteristic cold sweat started to trickle along her neck, her previous determination wavering and desperation again sinking into her chest. There were not many other locations she knew Bellatrix frequented.

"We don't have time," said Harry, kicking a nearby stone.

"Where else?" muttered Kalissa to herself, trying with all her strength to keep the image of a certain dark haired man out of her mind.

"Ah!" cried Harry, placing his arms on Kalissa's shoulders. "What about where the Malfoys live? Bellatrix is his aunt."

Kalissa closed her eyes. "Voldemort would be there most likely. It's not exactly a place we can simply apparate to."

"We can at least see," said Harry, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Come on Kalissa, Natalie does not have time!"

"Yes," said Kalissa, the desperation truly sinking in. She did not believe Natalie would be there, at least yet, but they could wait. Only once Voldemort had Natalie under his capture, the chances of rescuing her were much smaller.

"Let's go," said Kalissa, shaking her head. She remembered the village outside of Malfoy Manor, grabbed Harry's arm and twisted again on the spot. They landed outside of a bright, vibrant pub, the chatter loud and boisterous.

"Where do we go now?" said Harry as Kalissa looked around to ensure that no one within the pub noticed their appearance.

"This way, come on, let's run," said Kalissa, motioning her head in a direction north of the pub.

As they passed the pub, a streak of grey on the door of the pub caught her attention. Kalissa immediately stopped. Harry stumbled besides her, grabbing her shoulders to steady himself.

"How could I forget," mumbled Kalissa, shaking her head in anger.

"What are you doing! We don't have all bloody day!" shouted Harry, shaking her.

"Harry, stop it!" hissed Kalissa. "We're going back."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "What are you-

Before he could complete sentence, Kalissa quickly cast the rectangle of Silencing charms around them. She then intertwined her arm with Harry's arm and rotated her body. They were squeezed again through another funnel before dropping in front of the navy blue house David Claggerton.

"Why here?" said Harry as Kalissa stepped forward, her wand at her side.

"There were no anti-apparition wards outside of the house from the last time," Kalissa answered absently. "It's quicker to apparate here."

"What are you doing?" asked Harry. He walked forward to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you always like this?" exclaimed Kalissa, trying to find out how her charms and spells were modified. "The house I remember had a grey streak below the window on the left. But this-

"Does not have the grey streak- it's just navy blue," finished Harry, his eyes widening.

"Precisely," muttered Kalissa, continuing to test the house to see which charms were still there. Natalie was likely in the house at the very moment.

"Someone's been interfering with the house," said Harry, his face morphing in realization. "Bellatrix is the only other person who knows about it. Natalie could be there."

"Yes. So can you please be quiet because every second it takes me to figure out how to undo these charms, Natalie may be under some horrible curse."

Harry gritted his teeth before crossing his arms across his chest.

"Thank you and stay within two feet of me so the Silencing charm on us works," said Kalissa, waving her wand in a figure eight motion around the house. Nothing occurred.

She paused to gather herself, trying to push the image of Natalie writhing under the Cruciatus curse to the back of her mind. All of the spells and enchantments she established around the home still existed yet they had been modified so as to prevent her from gaining access to the home besides seeing it. The parameters she established to define these enchantments must have been uncovered and modified yet the manipulation of these parameters likely exceeded Bellatrix's capabilities. Kalissa shuddered. There was only one other person alive who could identify those parameters.

She focused her mind on the equations she remembered creating, enunciated the incantation and performed the specific pyramidal wand movement needed to open these equations and then the specific memory of a baby Natalie that would reveal the equations to her. After a brief moment in which Kalissa began to shake in desperation at the thought of not being able to reach Natalie, the equations unraveled themselves in the air in front of them.

"What's this?" asked Harry anxiously, walking over to her side.

"Harry, be quiet," said Kalissa. As she expected, the equations had changed for the major Silencing, DisIllusionment, Anti-Detection, Intruder monitoring and detection spells wrapped around the house along with the more minor jinxes, hexes and curses she had established to block off anybody who managed to overcome the first set of spells. The modifying of the equations had changed the parameters for the conditions and terms of each spell, effectively preventing Kalissa from noticing that the house had been discovered and infiltrated. The image she saw must be the one Bellatrix, or Kalissa swallowed, Voldemort, envisioned.

"What are you going to do?" said Harry, snapping his fingers. "These are just a bunch of equations."

"They're telling me what I need to do to get in there and find Natalie," said Kalissa quietly. "Can you please let me concentrate?"

It looked like if she changed the parameters of one of these equations, the Intruder detection ward would notify Bellatrix. But modifying all of these equations at the same time and synchronizing the changes so that the Intruder detection wards were not signaled would be very difficult and more importantly, take time. There must be another way. She gritted her teeth, staring at the innocuous blue house in front of her. Her stomach churned violently at the thought of what was happening inside.

"How do we know if they are there?" said Harry, scratching his chin.

"Because these spells are changed and Bellatrix is the only other person who knows of the house," retorted Kalissa. She noticed another equation that did not belong to her; the equation for what appeared to be an anti-spell for magical signatures. Judging by the wide range of magical energy values, it looked as if the spell stretched out for a large geographic region, explaining the lack of any sign of magic within the town.

"That's not what I mean," said Harry harshly

"Then what are you saying?" said Kalissa, her voice rising. They had wasted far too much time already for him to start a silly argument with her.

"No, how do we know if Natalie and Bellatrix haven't left the house," said Harry vehemently.

Kalissa's eyes widened. "Of course," she muttered, isolating the equation not belonging to her.

"What?" breathed Harry.

"Let me figure this out," said Kalissa. This equation looked like it had an inverse. And if the equation indeed described the spell that eliminated the magical signature of Bellatrix Lestrange, then the inverse would reverse the original spell, allowing Bellatrix's magical signature to exist. Kalissa checked the parameters of the Intruder Detection wards, smiling at what she saw. Those wards were very weakly connected to the new spell; if she reversed the anti magical signature charm, the Intruder Detection alarms would likely not be activated.

"Yes," said Kalissa, the small smile still stretching her lips. Conjuring an equation calculator with her wand, she quickly determined the equation's inverse and then started changing the anti magical signature equation to its inverse.

"Why are you changing all those letters?" mouthed Harry, pacing back and forth.

"If they did leave, we'll be able to see and track them to wherever they are which is probably less guarded," said Kalissa, focusing her mind on the equation she wanted to see while moving her wand in a combination of deft, coordinated movements that expanded each variable.

"It's our best chance now Harry. If they're still in the house, I'll have to break down all the wards one by one."

After a few more minutes of frantically waving her wand and adjusting the equation, Kalissa, satisfied, stopped focusing her mind on the equation and waving her wand. She felt a tingling of air rush over them, signaling a change in the wards.

"Is that what you did?" asked Harry, looking around.

"Yes," said Kalissa with a relieved smile. She waved her wand in a spherical motion, thinking of Bellatrix. In response, a purple beam of light emanated from the front of the house. It rose into the sky directly above the house before bending straight over the rear of the building, apparently pointing to a location in a direction directly behind the house.

Kalissa's mouth dropped open in amazement. She slapped her forehead angrily.

"Of course! How did I not see that!"

"What?" cried Harry, gripping her with his shoulders.

"Come on let's go. I know where she is," said Kalissa, her eyes darkening. Only Bellatrix would take Natalie to that place. With her wand directly in front of her and Harry latched onto her, she turned on the spot.

**A/N: How did you guys like the change of perspective (and also going back in time from the previous chapter)?**


	37. Unforeseen Help

Chapter 37- Unforeseen Help

_A recap from previous chapters because I have not updated in almost two months: During the invasion of Hogwarts by Death Eaters, Bellatrix takes Natalie away from Hogwarts to her father's home where she torments her with memories of her father. However Natalie breaks through Bellatrix's mind and sees and feels some of the happier memories and feelings, realizing that Bellatrix was once a different person and did indeed love her father. However, she also comes to the realizaiotn that Bellatrix is nothing like the woman who gave birth to her and as a result, Natalie is finally able to tear herself from that connection to her mother. She stands up to Bellatrix, resulting in brutal torture of Natalie. Bellatrix takes Natalie to her father's grave for whatever other torture she has planned._

_Meanwhile, Kalissa, after hearing Hogwarts has been invaded, rushes the castle and helps to drive the Death Eaters out. Once she realizes that Bellatrix has taken Natalie, she and Harry begin apparating to locations, searching for Natalie and Bellatrix until Kalissa realizes that someone interfered with the charms and spells she set around the home of Natalie's father. She determines that Bellatrix has taken Natalie to the graveyard._

_Hope this helps!_

_Thanks for all of the reviews the previous chapter and all of the support! It really is tremendous._

_I am very sorry for the two month wait and I will try my best to make sure that this does not happen again._

_Hope you enjoy!_

"You've been here before, haven't you my darling?" hissed Bellatrix, her arms outstretched towards the graveyard they stood within.

Natalie chose not to respond, trying her best not to look at the gravestone directly in front of her. She raked the graveyard with her eyes, desperately wanting to find an object upon which she could fixate her attention.

"Natalie, please answer my question," said Bellatrix, a malicious edge returnin to her voice.

Natalie shook her head.

"What are you saying, my dear?" whispered Bellatrix in her ear.

Natalie's jaw clenched. She would not allow this woman to stamp on the image and dignity of her father.

Natalie turned her head around so that she stared directly into Bellatrix's eyes. "I am not going to respond to you. If you want to kill me, do it somewhere else."

Bellatrix slapped Natalie viciously in the face. "How dare you speak to me in that way, you insolent brat!"

Before Natalie could lift herself from the ground, an invisible whip lashed across her legs. She gasped as the stinging pain radiated around her body, burning her joints further.

"Surely, you do not want to go through another round of Mummy's Cruciatus curse," cooed Bellatrix as the whip again lashed across Natalie's legs.

"Try your best," said Natalie, closing her mouth even though the pain was once again excruciating.

"Nah, another method should satisfy me," Bellatrix whispered with an insidious smile. In one quick movement, she lifted Natalie by the neck and pushed her head against the gravestone. Natalie's face was imprinted firmly against the name _David Claggerton._

Natalie prepared herself for another episode of throttling pain, but instead, in front of her, the all too familiar image of a brown haired man chuckling at the baby wrapped in his hands unraveled across the gravestone. The image filled Natalie's vision, bringing out the reaction she had feared from the last and only time she visited this place.

"Isn't this poetic?" sang Bellatrix. "The future you never had intertwined with the _oh so dreary present._" She stood up and again spread her arms to the graveyard. Her eyes closed as she appeared to be in sickening bliss.

Tears began to pour out of Natalie's eyes as an aching sadness again filled her for her father and the life he deserved to have. She tried to fight back the tears, reduce the sadness to a closed off regret, but could not as the image continued to blaze into her conscience.

"And how sweet, the little girl is crying," hissed Bellatrix, appearing at her side. A chilling laugh rang from her mouth.

And suddenly, that inhuman, completely careless sound jolted Natalie to her senses. She became acutely aware of her surroundings and where she was. Staring at her father's image, Natalie gritted her teeth. The tears continued to pour out of her eyes, but a burning sensation began to spread through her. Anger. Like she would not let Bellatrix have the satisfaction of torturing her with the memories of her father, she would not give this woman the pleasure of watching her suffer on her father's grave.

"You're not going to win," said Natalie, jerking her head forcefully from the gravestone.

Bellatrix stopped laughing. "What are you saying, my dear?"

"Even when I'm dead, someone will always be after you. You will always be running."

"Oh this nonsense again," said Bellatrix with a roll of her eyes. "Yes, I know, dear Harry and lovely Kalissa will be hunting me down. Any other courageous exclamations that might just terrify me?

"You will lose," stated Natalie, lifting herself from the ground.

"You're repeating yourself, darling," Bellatrix cooed, twirling her wand in her hands.

"When Voldemort dies-

The invisible whip thrashed Natalie's chest, bringing her to her knees.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY HIS NAME!"

"When Voldemort dies," repeated Natalie as the whip came across her again. "What will happen to you? Your only daughter will be dead, both of the men you loved will be dead, your husband will be in Azkhaban. You have no friends. Nobody likes-

"THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!"

A jet of air struck Natalie squarely in the chest, sending her sprawling across the gravestone. She saw the silver dagger, cleaned of Professor Flitwick's blood, stop inches from her throat.

"I've had enough of this attitude," said Bellatrix in a deadly, low tone. "It's time to join daddy."

Natalie tried to writhe out of the woman's grasp but she could not as her body was pressed against the gravestone, the knife coming to rest on her throat.

Suddenly, the shuffling sounds of footsteps reached them. Natalie closed her eyes, praying with all her might that Kalissa or Harry had found them.

"Who's here? " hissed Bellatrix, the dagger dropping to her side. She pointed her wand at the corner where the footsteps were coming from. Natalie followed Bellatrix's gaze to see a teenage boy dressed in Muggle clothing climbing out of one of the bushes with a cigarette in hand. She tried to lift her hand to wave the boy off, knowing that the woman in front of her would have no hesitation in "playing" with this boy.

"Oh it's a Muggle boy," said Bellatrix, licking her lips. "So young and very,very enticing."

"No, no," said Natalie. "Please leave him alone. He hasn't even noticed us. You can do whatever you want with me."

Bellatrix's eyes flickered hungrily between her and the boy. "You may have a point here, Natalie. I am on a rather, how do those Muggles say it, _tight_ schedule. A short, painless death will have to do."

"No!" cried Natalie.

Bellatrix stepped away from Natalie, aiming her wand at the boy. But before she could utter the Killing curse, a jet of red light came hurtling towards her, striking her squarely on the chest and sending her sprawling to the ground, unconscious.

The boy suddenly started running towards Natalie. Her mouth fell wide open

Once Bellatrix fell to the ground, Natalie rushed to her side, taking Bellatrix' wand from her grip and pulling her own wand from underneath the women's black robes. She jerked her body to point her wand at the boy running towards her who was beginning to wave his arms frantically.

"Natalie, you aren't honestly going to curse your boyfriend?" said a very familiar voice from behind her. The playful, rich melody infused Natalie's chest with a surge of pure relieving, warmth.

She turned her head to find Kalissa walking quickly towards her with an ebullinet smile from behind her father's gravestone. As soon as she saw Kalissa, she ran towards her, flinging her arms around her guardian in contentment. Kalissa placed a kiss on her forehead before releasing her and moving over to Bellatrix's body.

From behind her, Natalie felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her. She swiveled her body to throw her arms around Harry's neck, pressing her face into his chest.

"You look terrible Natalie," whispered Harry, lifting his chin so that their eyes locked.

"Shouldn't I?" said Natalie, a grim smile on her face. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."

He pressed his lips against her lips for a moment. Natalie allowed herself to submerge into the kiss slightly, savouring the sensation that a few hours ago, she thought she would never experience again.

Harry released her, a concerned expression still on his face as he guided her towards Bellatrix's body.

"Harry, I can walk just fine," said Natalie. "Bellatrix did not cripple me."

"What did she do to you Natalie?" asked Kalissa sharply as she bended over the body.

"Um well," spluttered Natalie, the memories of the excruciating, burning pain far too prevalent in her mind.

"You can tell us later," stated Harry firmly. "Shall we go now Kalissa?"

"Yes, we'll take her with us," said Kalissa, frowning "The Dark Mark isn't activated which is a good sign. Natalie, what other spells did Bellatrix conjure?"

"Nothing else besides a Silencing charm," replied Natalie, gazing around nervously. She noticed that Kalissa seemed uncharacteristically apprehensive. "Why?"

Natalie shivered as a cool wind swept over them. She squeezed Harry's hand, exchanging a worried gaze with him. Bellatrix lay unconscious on the ground in front of them, but she felt more frightened than before.

"I sensed some strong magic around the area when we arrived," responded Kalissa, wringing her hands now. "Let's get going. Harry and Natalie, take either one of my hands."

Suddenly, Harry's knees sank as he fell towards the ground, "No!" gasped Harry in pain, his hand over his scar that was alight.

"No," breathed Natalie in horror.

Kalissa leapt towards them, taking both of their hands and turning on the spot. Once they turned, they fell into the familiar emptiness before sharply striking an invisible, rigid wall and falling to the ground back in the graveyard.

Natalie groaned as her back forcefully struck the grass. The failed apparition had inflamed her already sore body. Jolts of searing pain shot through her, cutting into her bones. With Kalissa's aid, she barely managed to lift herself from the ground, but her knees and feet felt as if they would break any moment.

Natalie's stomach took another sharp lurch when she saw Kalissa's expression. She looked absolutely stricken, her wand in her hand as she stared around the graveyard. Bellatrix's body had disappeared and they could not find it anywhere.

Harry managed to stand besides Natalie. His hand lay over his scar.

"It's still stinging," said Harry in response to Natalie's curious expression. "Not as bad-No!"

Suddenly, again, his scar came alight and Harry lowered his body to the ground, his body convulsing terribly. Natalie, despite her own weakness, enveloped her arms around him, putting all of her energy to steady him and also herself.

"He's here," whispered Harry, who could barely stand under Natalie's grip.

High, cruel laughter rang across the graveyard. The laughter seemed to bounce off the gravestones, amplifying and increasing in frequency every second. Shivers raced down Natalie's spine. She swallowed, her stomach taking steeper and steeper lurches.

Harry separated himself from Natalie's hold. He raised his wand with Natalie to point at the graveyard though Natalie could tell by the bright, vivid colour of his eyes that he was equally as scared as she was.

"How's your scar?" whispered Natalie, a terrified expression on her face as she scanned the ground while the terrible laughter climbed to a shrieking pitch.

"Still hurts but it's better," muttered Harry. "Where is he?"

"The two of you, stay behind me," said Kalissa, not taking her eyes off the gravestones around her. "He probably won't-

"Ah, Kalissa, it certainly has been a long time," said a hissing voice to their right. "What a pleasant surprise it is that both you and Harry managed to _grace_ me with your presence tonight."

Natalie and Harry jerked their heads to see a thin, hooded figure in dark robes gliding towards them from behind one of the larger gravestones. A light mist began to unfold itself over the top of the graveyard. Dust and pebbles swirled around the figure's feet, his robes billowing behind as the wind in the graveyard began to whip around them.

"Not long enough, I'm afraid," said Kalissa, her voice clear and defiant. She whispered to them, "Do not attempt to run. We don't know where Bellatrix is."

"I see you haven't lost that wonderful wit," drawled Voldemort as he stopped a few feet from them, the dust and pebbles still swirling around him although the wind quieted.

He then gave another harsh, piercing cackle that physically shook the ground. Even though his wand lay at his side and Kalissa was with them, Natalie felt no sense of insulation and security.

"I was contemplating the time when I told you Dumbledore would not always be there to save your sharp tongue. How true is it now?"

Harry made to wave to his wand, but Kalissa grabbed his hand. "No Harry, this is what he wants."

"You'll pay," spat Harry, the hand not gripping his wand clenching.

"As always it is a pleasure to meet you Harry," drawled Voldemort, twirling his wand in his hands. "But I daresay that the old man's death is not a worthy cause for which to sacrifice your life. I can think of much more worthier uses."

"What," gasped Natalie in shock, the implication of the conversation hitting her. She looked to Kalissa and Harry, momentarily forgetting about the terrible person in front of them. "Surely not-

"Yes, Natalie, Albus died tonight," said Kalissa quietly, making eye contact with her for a second before her attention returned to Voldemort.

Harry nodded, taking her hand in his. "Snape killed him."

"The news must be absolutely dreadful," said Voldemort mockingly.

"No," whispered Natalie, closing her eyes. Her heat seemed to stop beating, suspending within her chest like a floating balloon ready to be popped. _He_ was dead. Her body went limp from its mobilized, frightened state. She felt herself falling again into a vicious spiral, her body receding into nothingness as the pain in her bones dissipated and her muscles went flaccid.

"You couldn't kill him, could you?" snarled Kalissa. "Had to have your little spy do it." The words seemed so distant to Natalie. She wanted to open her eyes and face Voldemort, but could not. Everything seemed so useless now.

"Kalissa, my my, the mouth has not changed," leered Voldemort.

"All of you will be joining _Albus_ very soon. I'm certain you can ask him about the experience. It must have been very enlightening for the old man."

Hearing Voldemort pronounce Professor Dumbledore's name with sheer, brutual joy thrust her out of her daze. Spurs of white, hot anger formed within her, growing and building rapidly. Snape betrayed the Headmaster for this _thing._ She pushed back the questions forming in her mind with the mention of Snape. Dumbledore did not deserve this death, did not deserve his loyalty and trust to be so abused and to have his memory stamped on by the animal talking to them. With her anger, her body tensed once again, the inevitable gloom pervading her consciousness dimmed. She was terrified of the man in front of her, but she would not allow him to enact any more pleasure from their loss.

Natalie opened her eyes, but startled when Harry stepped in front of her.

"What are you doing Harry?" asked Natalie frantically as she tried to move her body in front of him.

"No, Natalie, it's me he wants," stated Harry, pushing her behind him again as the figure approached.

"What are you two doing? He's not going to let any one of us escape," Kalissa muttered out of the corner of her mouth. "Just watch out for Bellatrix."

"How touching," hissed Voldemort as he moved closer towards them. "This must be dear _Natalie._"

Natalie shivered at the utterly venomous way he enunciated her name. She felt his eyes bore straight into her, watching every detail of her expression and stance.

"Don't talk to her," said Harry firmly, staring directly at Voldemort

He let out another a high, cold laugh that reverberated around the graveyard. "The bravado is indeed laudable, Harry." Voldemort pulled back his hood to reveal his face. Natalie tried her best to contain her gasp and not lower her wand in disgust. In comparison to Kalissa's memory, this Voldemort seemed even less human. Ridges and undulations carved themselves into the proper locations of this face, but at the sharpest of angles and with little regularity. The cheekbones curved steeply downwards into a pointed chin, the frightening red, gleaming eyes hollowed out across the forehead like a snake and the thin lips protruded from the slit like nose, giving him the outlines of a human but with a distinctively reptilian characterization.

Voldemort smiled at Natalie, a hungry, gruesome curving of the lips that made him even more terrifying. She stepped backwards, unable to tear her gaze from him.

"Harry," continued Voldemort, turning his attention towards the raven haired boy. "I trust you know, how shall I say, her _ancestry_. It was very fascinating to learn for me."

"She's a half blood like you and I," said Harry, smiling back at him. "It's a nice reunion, is it not?"

"How dare you talk to him, you filthy brat!" screamed an all too familiar voice. The graves on their left suddenly alight in flames, cracks forming in the ground.

"I see Bellatrix has not left," commented Kalissa with a grim smile. Natalie's jaw tightened as she saw Bellatrix emerge from behind a tree on the left. She danced around the graveyard towards them, jumping over gravestones, her hands swinging wildly.

"Bellatrix," hissed Voldemort as he doused the flames. "Behave yourself." Almost instantly, Bellatrix bowed to the ground.

"I am sorry, Master," said Bellatrix, her voice filled with reverence. "I never intended-

Voldemort waved his wand and she went silent. "I do not need to hear your apologies. You will receive your punishment in due time, but be glad that your disobedience did not end in failure this time."

"You certainly used her well, Tom," said Kalissa. "I'll have to complement you on that account."

The smile vanished off Voldemort's face, an angry snarl appearing. "You do know how I dislike that word."

"It's always so satisfying to stir you," said Kalissa dryly. "I was actually slightly impressed at how you manipulated the spells and charms I set on David's house. I had thought the Arithmancy I used was too complex for anyone else to decipher."

Natalie could tell that Kalissa was trying to delay Voldemort and Bellatrix's attack as much as possible, likely to give her time to determine exactly what spells Voldemort cast on the graveyard.

"You were wrong," said Voldemort, evidently taking pleasure in Kalissa's words. "Procrastinating, are we Kalissa?"

"Why would I?" said Kalissa obstinately. "You must have realized now that you do not frighten me in the least bit."

Voldemort looked like he was about to raise his wand at her, but then stopped himself and twirled the wand in his hands.

A nasty smile slowly unfolded itself over his face. "Very well then. Running will not help you Kalissa as it has for so long. But remember if you do, I will not aiming my wand at you."

His gaze lingered on Natalie for an extended moment before returning to Kalissa who looked absolutely livid. She seemed ready to fire a spell at him; however, she also kept her wand still.

"But why don't I continue my story?" said Voldemort. "After learning of Bellatrix's obsession with young Natalie here, I decided to do some exploring of my own and came upon this very nice, little village outside of London. Of course, after a very enlightening encounter with the server at the pub, I was surprised to hear that your Muggle's house had suddenly vanished; what a strange occurrence as the server astutely noted. I chose to look further and uncovered the house you so elaborately hid. Changing the systems behind all this spells was tedious and exhausting work, but it clearly had its use." He gestured to the three of them.

"And you expected Bellatrix to bring Natalie to the house," noted Kalissa.

"Bellatrix, it seemed, had already started searching for the house prior to my discovery-

Bellatrix crawled forward to the hem of his robes. "Master, I extend my deepest apologies-

She was sent sprawling against the adjacent gravestone.

"Do not interrupt me Bellatrix. Your behavior recently has been very disappointing," hissed Voldemort. "As I was saying, Bellatrix had not yet found the house. I decided to _prod_ her along so that she would go back to this village and see the house revealed. And once she did, it was sadly inevitable that Bellatrix would try to bring Natalie there. I was hoping that it was not tonight as her abilities were needed at Hogwarts, but through her own pathetic, selfish impulsiveness, she has brought me my two favourite people in the world."

"I am so honoured that you think of me in that way," drawled Kalissa.

Voldemort smiled. "I do think we've had enough time for talk."

And before Natalie even saw his hand move into his robes, a ring of fire surrounded them, the flames roaring and searing at their clothing.

A jet of blue light hurtled towards them. Harry grabbed Natalie and dove out of the way of the blue light onto the ground. Kalissa immediately conjured a shield that caused the blue light to explode into a brilliant haze of blue sparkles, but before any of them could raise their wands, one of the flames behind Kalissa morphed into a terrifying image of a dragon that opened its jaws only a few feet above Kalissa's head.

"Kalissa!" screamed Natalie, making to rush forward.

A Reducto curse barely missed Natalie's head as she tripped to the ground. With a relieved sigh, Natalie noticed Kalissa easily transfigure the dragon of fire into a wolf that raced towards a cackling Voldemort who dissipated it easily with his wand. The flames again encircled Kalissa, threatening to wrap around her.

"Natalie, watch out!" said Harry.

Natalie turned around, barely deflecting the powerful Stunning spell shot her way.

"Very good, Natalie!" shrieked Bellatrix, the familiar mad look on her face as she dodged two of Harry's stunners. "And your boyfriend can't shoot that well, can he?" She fired a Cruciatus curse that zoomed inches over Harry's head, shattering the gravestone behind him.

"Bellatrix, leave him for me!" screamed Voldemort as he and Kalissa were starting to exchange curses at rapid speed. A maelstrom of colours blazed across the graveyard, all the debris of the damaged gravestone, dust and pebbles spiraling around them.

Natalie tried to take advantage of the moment of distraction. She shuffled around to the side, pointing her wand at a patch of ground immediately behind Bellatrix.

"_Reducto! Siliencio!"_ hissed Natalie, pouring all of her energy into the spell. Her wand jerked, the feeling of a fast moving but very solid object leaving it. The patch of ground immediately disappeared and as she desired, the characteristic sound of Reducto was silenced.

Bellatrix turned her head to Natalie with a wicked smile. "You shouldn't try to surprise me, darling."

But Harry, realizing Natalie's plan, had moved to a spot directly in front of Bellatrix. He fired a Blasting curse at her that surprised Bellatrix. She barely blocked it but stumbled backwards and with a furious snarl and fell into the pit Natalie had created.

But before Natalie and Harry could exchange a triumphant grin, a transparent rope appeared, pulling Bellatrix out of her fall and whipping her violently against a gravestone.

Natalie looked towards the rope's owner, noticing Voldemort staring at them with a furious snarl. A mini cyclone of swirling dust, grass and pebbles was pushing Kalissa back in the direction of the fire.

Voldemort raised his wand to Natalie, an insidious smile on his face.

Natalie's insides froze. Her wand lay at her side as she met those horrible, malevolent gleaming red eyes.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ hissed Voldemort.

Natalie closed her eyes, waiting for the curse to reach her. She would die, not at her mother's hands, not while valiantly fighting off Death Eaters but while staring blankly at the man responsible for this entire mess.

A blazing red light and a familiar, thin wiry figure suddenly blocked Natalie's vision.

"WHAT!" screamed Voldemort as that red light filled the entire circle they all lay in, obscuring all of their vision.

As quickly as it appeared, the red light vanished, returning them to the moonlit evening. The flames surrounding them had completely dissipated, the mini cyclone enveloping Kalissa had disappeared and the vicious wind whipping around the graveyard had abated. Harry stood in front of Natalie, his wand still pointed at Voldemort who was leaning against a gravestone, a look of astonishment on his face.

Natalie finally found her voice. "Harry, what-

But before she could complete her sentence, Voldemort lifted himself off the ground with amazing agility, his wand again in his hand.

"Some new tricks I see you have, Harry," hissed the snake like man, his eyes gleaming menacingly.

"And you don't," said a reassuring brash voice behind them.

The silver figure of a massive wolf ran across the graveyard, leaping at Voldemort, its jaws open. Voldemort snarled, thrusting his wand at the wolf but rather than causing the wolf to disappear, his spell created an explosion of silver light that centred on him. He let out a howl of pain as the light seemed to funnel back into him, only accentuating his scream.

Before he could return fire, a large tree branch hurtled across the graveyard at lighting speed, sharp spikes protruding out of its edges. Voldemort moved his chest out of the way branch but one of the spikes managed to pierce his shoulder. Another drawn out scream filled the graveyard. Kalissa waved her wand in a complicated sweeping motion that caused the mini cyclone to reappear, this time enveloping Voldemort and obscuring him from their vision.

"Let's go," said Kalissa, reaching the two of them. "There's a lake at the other side of this forest and a stream that enters it-

Natalie's eyes widened in realization. "Moving water-

"Will end the anti apparition wards," muttered Kalissa with a nod. "Let's take the path leading into the forest and we'll branch off from there."

Harry and Natalie nodded, following her. As they started to run across the graveyard towards the forest's edge, Natalie, out of the corner of her eyes, noticed a black haired woman crouching behind one of the gravestones to their left, her wand pointed at Kalissa's turned back.

Natalie immediately jerked her wand in that direction, firing three Stunners that obliterated the gravestone, catching Bellatrix by surprise. She hissed at Natalie, raising her wand. But before she could utter a spell, a flash of yellow light swallowed her

Natalie turned her head to see Kalissa smiling at her. "Thank you Natalie. I don't want to think what spell she would have chosen for me."

"We should keep going. That cloud you created around him looks to be disappearing," muttered Harry.

As if on cue, the cyclone enveloping Voldemort vanished.

"Leaving early, are we, Kalissa?" said Voldemort in that characteristic high pitched, cold voice that sent shivers racing along Natalie's spine.

Kalissa sent a barrage of silver pellets at Voldemort, not bothering to see whether they struck their target. "Keep running," said Kalissa, motioning frantically to Natalie and Harry. "Once we get to the forest, it will be very difficult for him to find-

Natalie gasped as the flames reignited across the graveyard. This time, however, the flames took the shape of a massive serpent. The thick, green scales that twisted and spiraled around a long, arduous body leading to very familiar gleaming, red eyes, the ominous, protruding tongue and the loud ripples it sent across the grass as it uncoiled showed that this figure was much more real than the dragon he conjured earlier. As if confirming her fears, the snake, which must have been 40 feet long and at least five feet wide, whipped a gravestone viciously out of the way, exposing its massive, razor sharp fangs for them. A sickly pungent smell pervaded their nostrils.

"Venom," whispered Harry in shock.

"Come on! Let's go," said Kalissa, jerking the two of them out of their dazed states. Natalie ran as fast as she could towards the forest, ignoring the hissing noise behind her and the far too audible sound of the snake slithering across the grass. Her bones continued to ache, the tiredness and exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her , reminding her of the horrible way her body contorted under the Cruciatus. But the adrenaline was too powerful; they needed, somehow, to escape and get back to Hogwarts. And so, Natalie poured as much as energy as she could to reach those trees.

As they arrived at the forest's edge, Kalissa abruptly stopped alongside her. Natalie paused to see what caused Kalissa to pause but clumsily tripped on her feet, falling to the ground.

Harry quickly lifted her with his hands, looking curiously at Kalissa.

The snake ripped open its jaws only a few paces from them, focusing its bright, red eyes on Kalissa.

Natalie screamed in horror, "KALISSA, COME ON!"

Kalissa remained focused on the serpent. Natalie reached for her wand to help Kalissa, seeing Harry do the same besides her. She had no idea why they were not running into the forest; the snake would surely kill them.

And then as the snake reared its head back, a wind started to rumble through the trees, brushing the dust and dirt on the floor lightly. Harry exchanged a puzzled glance with Natalie as both of their gazes darted to the forest behind them. The wind, however, quickly escalated in furor, rising to a throttling tornado that bent the trees, pushing Natalie and Harry forward and seemed to surprise the snake. Natalie raised her eyebrows at the trees that continued to bend forward t almost a ninety degree angle as if an invisible hand were pushing them down.

She looked towards Kalissa who continued to stare at the snake, moving her wand in intricate motions and muttering rapidly under her breath. Suddenly, she saw Voldemort reappear besides the snake, an outraged expression on his face. And the snake unleashed itself at Kalissa, but the trees, like elastic bands, released themselves back to their erect positions. And as if emanating from the stress of the bent trees, a grey mass, very similar to a cloud, appeared behind them by the trees. It hurtled towards the snake, striking it just before its fangs reached Kalissa. The snake fell back to the ground, shattering in another huge explosion; this one blazed the night sky with a burning, scorching yellow punctuated again with Voldemort's furious s scream. Kalissa turned back toward them with a satisfied smile.

"Come on," said Kalissa as she continued her run into the forest. Once they entered the forest, Natalie could almost hear a door closing on them, as if the forest itself was insulating them.

Harry too seemed to hear the sound, as he looked around with a bewildered expression.

Kalissa smiled. "Keep moving. The forest has indeed allowed us to enter and not Tom, but only for some time. We need to find that river and apparate out of here."

"Bloody brilliant," muttered Harry under his breath. Natalie merely shook her head at Kalissa.

Harry and Natalie followed Kalissa along the path and then when she digressed from the path, heading for the river that opened into the lake at the northwest edge of the forest.

They still could see flashes of yellow and orange blazing across the sky, a sign that Voldemort and Bellatrix were still struggling with Kalissa's spell. Unfortunately, whatever magic Kalissa used to shield them from the forest also prevented them from hearing anything of what Voldemort was trying.

"You sure we'll be able to apparate from the river?" asked Harry, catching up to Kalissa with Natalie just behind them.

Kalissa, who continued to rapidly scan the forest, replied out of the corner of her mouth, "It's the best option we have right now. I was not able to determine what anti-apparation charm he used."

"Really?" asked Natalie, unable to keep the apprehension out of her voice.

Kalissa's gaze flickered back to her. "Yes, his magical abilities have evolved since the last time I fought him. I never expected him to undo the spells I set on Albus' house- it would have required a tremendous knowledge of Arithmancy."

"He spent thirteen years as a snake," noted Harry bitterly. "Probably had enough time to learn all those things."

"True enough," agreed Kalissa with a sigh. "We're almost there and it looks like they're still distracted. Just past these bushes, there should be a clearing where the path continues from onto the river. How are you doing Natalie?"

"Fine," said Natalie, the adrenaline starting to wear off though her nerves were still absolutely on edge. "I just want to get back. I'm supposing he cannot access the river from where he is now?"

"No," said Kalissa, checking the sky again to see the yellow and red flashes still appearing. "Even if he manipulated the anti apparition wards to allow himself to apparate from the graveyard to the river, the apparition would still require that he bypasses the forest and since the forest is basically impervious to his magical signature, it would also limit his apparition from the graveyard to the river."

"Brilliant," repeated Harry.

"But as I said, it looks like he is much more prepared than I anticipated so keep your wands raised and be alert once we get to the river. I imagine he will expect us to use that as the apparition point as it is the only region of moving water in this town," replied Kalissa.

They quickly navigated their way through a patch of long grass and shrubs before arriving in the clearing Kalissa mentioned.

"There's the path," said Kalissa, pointing to a barely discernible space between two evergreen trees.

"How did you notice that?" muttered Natalie as they rushed to that space, which upon approach, revealed a narrow corridor winding through the forest. To her immense relief, she could just hear the familiar gurgle of moving water.

"I spent a great deal of time in this forest when I lived here," answered Kalissa with a small smile.

They moved at a near sprint along the twisting path; the sound of the water was becoming louder and louder.

After a few minutes of running, they were finally able to see the river. Natalie had never seen a more reassuring sight in her eyes. She looked up to the sky and let out a breath at the sight of the yellow and red lights still blazing across the sky.

They continued moving at a faster pace along the path, heading towards the nearest bank of the river. It was not very wide, but was moving at a relatively fast speed; the dark, black water sparkled under the moonlight, giving the river a very optimistic feel.

However, Harry suddenly paused, frowning at the sky above.

"What's wrong?" whispered Natalie.

Harry shook his head, an extremely distressed look on his face. Kalissa had also stopped with an equally anxious expression on her face.

"Natalie, have you noticed how the sky hasn't changed since we entered that clearing?" said Harry, gazing around.

"What?" said Natalie, her heart beginning to once again pound against her chest. Something was definitely wrong.

"Before there were always flashes of red and yellow light randomly going in the sky like fireworks," said Harry. "Now the flashes are regular."

Natalie followed Harry's gaze to the sky."Yes they are," said Natalie, the implications setting in. "Let's get to the bank."

"No!" exclaimed Kalissa in an unnaturally high pitched voice. She leapt towards the two of them pushing them to the ground, as a jet of orange light soared over their heads.

"Run the other way! Forget about the river," whispered Kalissa, a very unusual frightened tone to her voice.

Natalie nodded, her stomach starting to churn as her heart beat violently. But before she could lift herself, she felt something invisible twist around her and then pull her abruptly away from Harry and Kalissa.

"Natalie!" screamed Harry but a mass of air flung him into the air into a nearby bush, followed by that horrible, piercing cackle.

As Natalie continued to become drawn in by this invisible rope, a different but very familiar and equally as unnerving cackle became audible, rising sharply in intensity. And then when she thought she would crash into a tree, the invisible rope disappeared, dropping her to the ground and knocking the breath out of her. Her wand slipped out of her hands, something kicking it away to her right.

A cool, smooth but strong hand lifted her and once again, Natalie found herself staring into that haughty, insidious sneer of her mother.

"Natalie, you can't run away from Mummy," hissed Bellatrix. Despite the words, her eyes were flashing a maniacal red. Her tone was devoid of the playful carelessness of before.

Bellatrix's hands quickly moved around her throat, pressing with just enough force that Natalie had difficulty focusing on her.

"You've been a very bad girl," whispered Bellatrix She strengthened her grip on Natalie's throat.

Natalie felt like she would lose consciousness if Bellatrix's hands tightened any more.

"You're very quiet," commented Bellatrix with a cruel smile. "My nails are rather sharp, are they not, Natalie?"

Natalie tried to open her mouth to retort but she could not as somehow the woman's grip clamped down upon her even more, making Natalie slightly dizzy. Her gaze was starting to become blurry. Bellatrix seemed to be daring her to say something so her grip could become firmer and firmer, those nails could dig and imprint themselves into her skin further; it was like a game to her.

But Natalie would not let her win. Again, she opened her mouth but anticipating Bellatrix' pressing gesture, instead of trying to speak, she spat in her mother's face, letting a triumphant smile appear on her face.

Bellatrix let her go, screaming in anger. She thrust Natalie viciously against a tree, a truly crazed look on her features.

"YOU INSOLENT BRAT!"

Before Natalie could rebound from the tree, the familiar invisible whip lashed against her, burning her insides, scorching her already inflamed joints. Bellatrix moved over to her in two long strides. She took Natalie's hair with one hand and shook her head violently, bashing her head against one of the trees.

Natalie's head throbbed horribly, feeling as if all thoughts were evacuated from her brain. The seething pain ripping at her joints now filled her head, pushing and tugging at every corner of her mind, blazing itself through her conscience, daring her to show any sign of weakness.

The shaking of her head ceased for a moment as Bellatrix leaned into Natalie's ear. "I gave birth to you and this is how you treat me."

"You were a different person then. You actually cared," muttered Natalie, closing her eyes. The pain was too much for her, her body too damaged and scarred by this woman but she would not give Bellatrix the pleasure.

"Oh how lovely," hissed Bellatrix, her voice rising to a much higher pitch. She threw Natalie down a bank.

Natalie gritted her teeth as she rolled painfully through two or three bushes, her jumper tearing apart. Her face continued to sear with the new bruises and sideburns appearing. When she stopped somewhere near the river, the horrible molten taste of blood filled her mouth. She could feel droplets of blood oozing along down her face to her lip.

Again, those cool, seductively smooth hands gripped her. Bellatrix lifted Natalie to her chest, her right arm pressed against Natalie's throat.

"Where are Harry and Kalissa now?"

"Taking out that piece of filth you call a Master." And Natalie knew with that statement that she would set off Bellatrix.

The woman let out a brutal cry of fury, flinging Natalie further down the bank through even thicker bushes and along ever drier ground Natalie somehow managed to stop herself from rolling to the edge towards the river. As she placed her hands on nearby tree to steady herself and look for her mother, a sharp kick struck her in the ribs, sucking out her breath. Two more vicious kicks sent her sprawling into the ground, gasping for air.

Those horrible nails came onto her face, clawing across her. Natalie moaned as the pain penetrated deeper and deeper into her conscience, seeming to lodge itself permanently within her, eating at her from the insides.

And then suddenly, the nails came off her. She felt Bellatrix's body repel from her body followed by another maniacal howl of fury. Two sharp, puncturing bangs filled the air followed by a triumphant scream from Bellatrix.

Natalie looked up to Bellatrix prowling towards Harry, a cold smile on her face. His wand had been thrust to the side while Bellatrix merely twirled her wand in her hands, waiting for Harry to make a move.

"Come to save my daughter, have you_ Harry_?" She licked her lips as he jumped behind a bush, dodging her Cruciatus curse.

Natalie's heartbeat stopped when she saw the bloodied dagger in Bellatrix's hand. With whatever ounce of strength, she possessed, Natalie pushed herself off the ground and charged towards the unaware Bellatrix. The black haired woman turned towards her with a surprised look as Natalie tackled her to the ground, forgetting about the dagger in the woman's hand. She punched Bellatrix's face as hard as she could, but was too weak to hold the woman under her. Bellatrix pushed her off, the dagger in her hand as she swung it at Natalie.

But as the dagger came hurtling towards Natalie, a jet of red light struck Bellatrix in the chest. She stopped in mid motion, a startled expression on her face. A beam of yellow light swallowed her, causing her to collapse to the ground.

Natalie exhaled in relief as she saw Harry run towards her, jumping over Bellatrix. He lifted her off the ground, his arms wrapped firmly around her. Natalie had never been so grateful to be in his grasp.

She anchored herself against him, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Thank you so much Harry," murmured Natallie, kissing him briefly on the lips. Despite the situation, she could not help the sensation of bliss that overcame her when she was in his embrace.

Harry gave her a crooked smile. "After this, I'm going to make sure you get a proper scolding for putting me through all this worry."

"Of course," said Natalie with a small smile before the terrifying nature of their situation once again struck her. "We need to find Kalissa."

"She should be back by that clearing, fighting Voldemort," said Harry. "Let's go. How are you doing?"

"Not great," said Natalie with a grimace, trying to ignore the searing pain that seemed to intensify with every moment. She tried to clench her jaw to stop the progression of throbbing headache in her head. Natalie let herself go from Harry. "I can manage though- don't worry Harry. Come on, Kalissa needs us."

Harry gave her a skeptical look before he nodded and they climbed up the bank and then ran around the bushes back to the point where they had left Kalissa.

The wind was becoming much stronger. As they ran along the bank to that spot, the wind amplified tenfold in amplitude so that they had to walk away from the bank, almost physically pushing through the streams of air rippling around them. The wind throttled and shook them, daring them to stand and resist its relentless force. Dust, pebbles and grass rose from the ground, alternating between swirling over their heads and then returning to the ground with surprising force. Grains of sand from the bank below blew over their heads, obscuring their vision of the river. Natalie could hear crashes of waves against the bank, the spray from these collisions joining the storm brewing above their heads. She cast a Shield charm around them to protect them from the onslaught from some of the more sharper stones as well to keep the sand and water from their eyes.

However, Natalie's Shield charm could not protect them from the increasing force of the wind as the shield charm itself was essentially a block of air and so constituted a part of the wind. The further northward along the bank they moved, the more force they encountered, rising in strength and intensity to the point that Natalie and Harry both realized that if they remained standing, they would be cast into the river. Harry gestured to the ground and Natalie sighed, nodding. They rolled once again on the ground.

Harry gripped her hand. "We should try crawling to a place where the wind is quieter so we can help Kalissa. They're fighting over there."

Natalie narrowed her eyes, looking further along the bank through all of the grains of sand, particles of dust and droplets of water leaping into and saturating the air until she finally found the source of the hurricane. She barely made out two figures, one the defiant stance of Kalissa and the other, the menacing figure of Voldemort. But the blaze of light cast around these figures was clear against the grey blur that the storm created.

"Ok let's go, " whispered Natalie. "Watch out for those trees. They might just come off the ground and I don't think my Shield charm will be enough to hold them back."

With her hand holding tightly onto Harry's hand, they crawled towards the forest away from the bank. As they pushed themselves across the grass, Natalie had to contain several moans. Crawling was not doing anything to help her aching body; she felt like a pane of glass that had cracked at all of the important stress points and was just at the point of shattering. Natalie took a deep breath. She focused on sliding forward inch by inch, taking the burning jolts along her spine as they came. She tried to keep her eyes off all of the little grains of sand, stones and dirt that pelted the ground around them. And to Natalie's relief, as they were closer to the trees, the wind became much weaker, the storm almost vanishing.

Once they reached the trees, Natalie and Harry cautiously stood from the ground, bracing themselves for a terrifying gust of wind; however that gust never came. Both of them breathed in relief.

"Let's run along the trees to where they're fighting," muttered Natalie. "We can maybe help Kalissa from there."

"Yes," said Harry as they ran behind the first fringe of trees, not wanting Voldemort to catch sight of them. "We still need to get to the river to apparate. We'll have to somehow distract him and keep him at bay for a few seconds."

Natalie nodded though she had no idea how the two of them could help Kalissa in pushing Voldemort back to the forest. As they came closer to the duel, they angled further into the trees so that they could stare diagonally at the Kalissa and Voldemort, having a clear view of both.

When Natalie could finally see Kalissa, her throat went dry and her heart returned its frantic pace. Despite the determined look on Kalissa's face, the myriad of colurs streaming out her wand and the sizzling energy that emanated off her, she was clearly losing the fight. Voldemort was slowly weakening her. His spells seemed to carry much more strength and force. The storm he created was focused much more on Kalissa who was using so much effort to just prevent the storm from engulfing her. All of his spells blazed around her, puncturing the air and throttling it with a brutal terror, forcing Kalissa to resort to the most complicated defensive spells that Natalie had never seen her use before.

Natalie knew Kalissa could not keep blocking all the animals Voldemort sent lashing at her, all of the burning hues and blazes of light that wrapped themselves around Kalissa before she evaporated them and most terrifying to Natalie, the threads of blackness that barely missed coiling around her; Natalie knew if they touched Kalissa, they would ingratiate themselves deeply into her, changing and tormenting her permanently. Whatever Voldemort had done to allow him to apparate to the bank clearly had rejuvenated him.

And the triumphant sneer on Voldemort's face as each of spells continued to force Kalissa retreat a little, go on the defense bit more and reduce her attack on him terrified Natalie. She knew Kalissa would not relent but Voldemort knew she could not defeat him.

"She's not doing too well," muttered Harry as they looked from behind a few bushes.

"No Natalie," whispered Harry, his eyes wide as he saw her raise her wand. Natalie so badly wanted to help Kalissa and she had decided on an "_Aeronaugio"_ aimed at Voldemort's back. Harry quickly grabbed her hand and dragged it back toward the ground.

"He'll deflect the spell easily and then he'll see where we are," said Harry through gritted teeth.

"What do you expect us to do then? I'm not going to stand here and let him kill her," whispered Natalie furiously. "I'm going to do something."

"No you aren't," said Harry, holding her back. "You're not strong enough for this."

"What are you saying? Do you think I really care now?" hissed Natalie, her eyes starting to become slightly wet as Voldemort's advance on Kalissa became more pronounced. For the first time that evening, the panic in her was spilling over. That looming sense of inevitability, of being so close to the edge of nothingness that she could feel it was more palpable than ever. Only now it was not Bellatrix driving the panic and it was not just her that reached the edge. Kaliss and Harry would suffer too.

"Well I do," said Harry firmly, his grip on her relenting. Natalie noticed how his eyes were now fixated on Voldemort, his face hardened. "I have an idea."

"What?" said Natalie as Harry stood from behind the bushes.

"Harry, no!" cried Natalie, not bothering to hide her voice. Voldemort would certainly kill Harry if he saw him.

But Natalie's words were futile. Voldemort's eyes immediately caught Harry as he emerged from the bush.

"Oh come to join the fight Harry?" leered Voldemort, as he conjured another roaring dragon for Kalissa to fight.

"Of course," said Harry, walking slowly towards Voldemort. Natalie also lifted herself from the ground, her wand in hand and pointed at Voldemort. "Leave them alone. It's just you and me."

"How honourable of you Harry, but I have to say that this fight is rather exhilarating. It has been a long time, has it not Kalissa?"

"Go to hell you filthy bastard," spat Kalissa, snarling at the dragon looming over her.

"And Natalie is here too," commented Voldemort, his smile widening. He fired a barrage pellet of orange light that thrust Kalissa across the clearing, a few yards from Harry. And then his dragon whipped his tail, finally striking Kalissa in the chest, knocking her out of breath onto the ground.

Voldemort raised his wand to the recovering Kalissa, a deadly glint in his eye and said, "_Avada Kedavra!"_

"NOO!" screamed Natalie, running the few yards to Kalissa. She threw her body across Kalissa, hoping that she was able to block the Killing curse and bracng herself for the full deadly power of the jet of green light.

But again, Voldemort's Killing curse never struck Natalie. A blazing red filled her vision as Kalissa in front of her gasped. Natalie turned her head. She also gasped at the sight before her.

Harry and Voldemort stood in the middle of the clearing, a golden thread of light connecting their two vibrating wands. A massive, vertical beam of golden light sprouted from the middle of the horizontal thread, extending well above Harry and Voldemort. An incandescent core suffused the beam with a fierce golden fever. Tendrils of light emanated in all directions from the beam, pulsating through the forest and filling the air with a scorching electricity, outlining everything with the golden colour.

"What is this?" screamed Voldemort.

Harry did not respond to him, merely maintaining his grip on his trembling wand, his face hardened in utter concentration

Two finely shaped semi circles began to unfold from the beam on both sides, rippling across the air with incredible energy. As the semi circles expanded in every direction, Natalie finally realized what they were. Wings. And whatever was forming seemed to be some sort of bird.

As the wings thrust themselves to their full shape, streaks of ruby red interspersed with diamonds of a sapphire blue cut across them in zigzag patterns, augmenting the golden light with a strange, exotic aura.

From the bottom edge of the beam, a mane of orange feathers effused by the golden incandescent core unraveled into shape, one by one. But Natalie lifted her eyes to the beam for it was no longer a hollow tube. Rather, a puffed out chest replaced its top half, an indented abdomen its bottom half and a strong, muscular cage carved itself across its sides and around to the back.

And then finally, a cone shaped objected emerged from the top of the body. The pointed end of the corn rotated vertically, resting at an oblique angle in the frontal plane of the body while the edge below the pointed itp curved into a semi circular arch; the forehead of this animal. And then so quickly that it shocked Natalie, a wave of light rippled across the face, sculpting it so that all of the indentations, undulations, rises and crests were perfectly captured. When the head finally raised itself to stare at them, Natalie could only gape. It was a phoenix with the most chilling and penetrating gaze she had ever seen. Yet it was the colour of those eyes that struck Natalie; they were green.

"Do you see those eyes?" whispered Natalie to Kalissa.

"Awfully familiar," replied Kalissa with a smile.

And then Voldemort let out a horrible shriek, tearing Natalie's gaze away from those eyes. The massive wings of the phoenix began to stretch around Harry and Voldemort, appearing to form a cocoon around them. Natalie made to move towards to Harry to pull him out of the phoenix's grasp but Kalissa held her back.

"The phoenix is here to help us," said Kalissa. "Let's get to the bank so we can catch Harry when he comes through."

Another maniacal scream came from Voldemort as the phoenix's wings closed around them so that the two were pressed against the core illuminating the phoenix.

Natalie and Kalissa sprinted across the clearing to the bank standing directly behind the phoenix's wings.

"Don't try casting any spells against the phoenix," warned Kalissa. "I have a feeling it will take care of Tom for us."

And almost as if on cue, the golden light imbibing the phoenix intensified, its core now burning as the phoenix's entire body vibrated at a steady pulse. The beams of light emanating outwards funneled back into the phoenix, the streaks of red across the wings shimmied in a cloud of blazing red, almost giving the appearance that the phoenix's wings were bleeding. And then the phoenix began to slowly rise off the ground, the wings starting to flap.

And just as Natalie feared the phoenix would also take Harry with it, he emerged from underneath the nearest wing, a calm but relieved look on his face.

Natalie ran over to him, grabbing onto his hand and pulling him to Kalissa. "What is that?" said Natalie.

"I do not know," said Harry quietly. "But I don't know…. I felt very comfortable, almost as if I was back at home."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at him but before she could ask her next question, a wonderful, gentle song pervaded the forest. And Natalie knew exactly what Harry meant. The song was so reassuring, so full of undeniable warmth, compassion and kindness that she could not help but feel that all of three would be safe. The doom and inevitability seemed so far away. Natalie looked up towards the phoenix and saw that the phoenix was singing

"You will not kill tonight, Tom," said a much firmer, hardened voice. It spoke with air of authority as if it knew and had seen everything, that nothing could deviate from its orders, that no act of magic could overcome or scare it. Natalie realized with a slight startle that the voice was clearly female and was also coming from the phoenix.

"LEAVE ME!" screamed Voldemort, his voice briefly reverberating across the forest but it was quickly quietened by the phoenix's voice.

"You have done too much wrong in this world. There will be consequences for you Tom in the end. You have seen death and it will not treat you well."

"Do you think that death bothers me?" snarled Voldemort, cackling as if he knew something the phoenix did not. Harry, Natalie and Kalissa all exchanged significant glances.

"And sadly, you never learned your mistakes, not from the orphanage, not at Hogwarts and not even from what happened to you Godric's Hollow."

Voldemort's cackling stopped after the voice spoke of the orphanage. And then the phoenix exploded in a myriad of gold and red. Voldemort's screams became terrifying and absolutely manic as they saw his figure cast well over the forest. Natalie felt Kalissa's hands on her.

"JUMP!" screamed Kalissa as the explosion of light rushed towards them.

Natalie and Harry, each of them holding to one of Kalissa, leapt off the bank onto the waves below, twisting in the air with Kalissa. To Natalie's horror, they were falling closer and closer to the water. Could have Voldemort changed the anti apparition wards even here on the river?

Almost an inch from the water, Natalie felt the familiar twisting into nothingness and they vanished.

_A/N: How did you like this chapter- I think it was our first live view of Voldemor and the appearance of the phoenix? _


	38. A Revealing Conversation

Chapter 38**- **A Revealing Conversation

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter! All the support is really tremendous and wonderful so thank you!**

**Here is a summary of the connection between Harry and Voldemort that might help with this chapter: **

**The Killing curse is described by three Arithmancy equations of which the third one modifies the parameters and limits of the first two. So far, Kalissa believes that the circumstances around Lily's death modified the third equation so that Voldemort's Killing curse on Harry was changed. One of the changes included the formation of the connection between Voldemort and Harry.**

**This is a rather long chapter but there are some important things that are described. I hope you enjoy it. **

**There is a small paragraph in this passage that you will notice comes directly from HBP; I just wanted to acknowledge this passage to avoid any plagiarism problems.**

Natalie groaned, feeling something nudging her on the side, trying to wrestle her out of her sleep. She just wanted to bask in that pure bliss, succumb to the exhaustion and forget about what faced her when she awoke.

But the person besides her obviously did not care. The pulling on her arm became more forceful and urgent the longer she kept her eyes closed and the clearer and sharper the tugging became to her. Natalie clenched her teeth. This person was bringing her out of that haze between wakefulness and sleep which she had wanted to enjoy. Natalie opened her eyes, ready to snap at whoever was so willing to end her.

But when she opened her eyes, the sight before her shocked her. She was not on the bed in the Hospital wing she vaguely remembered sliding into the previous night. Rather she lay on the slightly damp grass of what appeared to be a Mugle park.

Natalie shook her head. A Muggle park? How could she end in this location?

The grogginess and blurry perception quickly left her to be replaced by an overwhelming confusion. Nothing made sense. It was indeed a Muggle park. She looked around, noticing the two pairs of swings that fluttered in the light wind, a rusted and cracked slide, a very badly maintained basketball court with the nets missing and hoops broken and a rather wild and untamed grassy area that wrapped around all those structures on which Natalie lay. Behind Natalie, a river curved past the park, the current barely visible among the murky waters that shared the same wasted, vile and dirtied look as the structures on its bank.

Looking again at the swings, however, Natalie could not shake off the sensation that they seemed familiar. But she was certain she had never been to this park and certainly not one this poorly maintained.

Natalie tried to find the person who had awoken her and let out a sigh of relief when she finally identified the person. Harry. He was looking at the clusters of trees just behind the slide in front of them. He would know where they were.

Natalie frowned. So they did not return to Hogwarts but where was Kalissa? A terrible wave of panic surged through Natalie. Surely she had not-

"Harry," called out Natalie, walking over to him and grasping his arm.

Harry smiled at her. "How are you doing?"

"Very confused," replied Natalie anxiously. "Where are we and where is Kalissa?"

Harry looked at her in bewilderment. "Kalissa's back at Hogwarts and surely you know where we are? You decided to come here to look for _him._"

The utter venom in which Harry pronounced "him" startled Natalie. "Surely we can't be looking for Voldemort by ourselves because I don't think Kalissa would-

"No of course not," said Harry, the look of bewilderment becoming more exaggerated on his face. "Why would you think that anyway?"

Natalie grabbed at her hair in frustration. None of this made any sense. She knew Kalissa would not send them by themselves to for someone dangerous. "Well who else would you refer to as-

Harry suddenly gripped her arm, stopping her in mid speech. "I'll tell you later. That fall obviously has left you a little confused but it's dangerous for us here in the open. Let's go to a safer place."

"Ah Potter, your stupidity never ceases to astound me," said a familiar silky and pleased voice.

Natalie's insides froze. All of her confusion immediately cleared. She realized exactly to whom Harry was referring. A combination of shock and anger filled her at hearing that annoying drawl again; she now remembered what he had done. But why would they be searching for him by themselves?

Harry jerked his body around to face the bushes behind them on the bank of the river but no one was there. Natalie tried to raise her wand but she could not move her hand. A jolt of fear raced along her spine; what was happening? She attempted to move from her spot but she again could not move her body. The fear escalated within her rapidly. What had Snape done?

"This is far too easy Potter," drawled Snape, his voice appearing to come from the cluster of trees behind the swings and to the left of them.

Harry swiveled his body and pointed his wand at those trees but again, no person was there.

"Harry, don't do that, he wants you to move," said Natalie, trying to calm herself.

"Very well noted Miss Malkae," enunciated Snape and suddenly Harry was thrown across the ground, his body striking the base of the sliding with a resounding thud. Natalie, with all of her effort, tried to force herself out of this paralyzed position. However, she could not move even a millimeter. She had no idea what Snape had done and immobilized as she was, she could not perform the counter spell. That horrible sense of inevitability started to needle itself into her once again.

Snape appeared by one of the pair of swings, midway between her and Harry. His black cloak imperiously billowed behind him, the leer on his face displayed pure delight at Harry gasping by the slide and most frighteningly for Natalie, his black eyes bore only pure venom for the green eyed boy. Whatever doubts she had about Snape's loyalty to Voldemort were abruptly cast; the man here would have no qualms about witnessing their deaths.

"Are you enjoying my little trick?" drawled Snape, his face contorting in a rather unnatural smile at her. He seemed much more sinister to the point that his entire figure and expression was bordering on the maniacal, contorted nature of Bellatrix and Voldemort.

"What did you do to her?" snarled Harry, lifting himself from the slide.

"Silence," said Snape quietly and Harry again dropped to the ground. He let out a horrible howl of his pain, his scar coming alight.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Natalie, again trying to push herself out of her spot on the ground with no avail.

Snape dropped his spell, returning to gaze at her thoughtfully. "I will for the moment. Potter has how shall I say a rather _low tolerance_ for pain. I daresay if I threw this pebble by my feet at him, the same repulsive sounds would be coming from his mouth."

"Go to hell, you bastard," muttered Harry. He was still breathing heavily, his body crouched over his knees. Natalie so wanted to help him.

"Ah, you should watch your mouth _Harry,_" hissed Snape, a menacing gleam appearing in his eye. Harry suddenly started choking, yellow phlegm spurting from his mouth that looked to be coated with blood.

Natalie could not bear to watch Harry suffer like this. "Why are you doing this? You were a good person!" cried Natalie.

Snape flicked his wand. Harry flew across the park, this time hitting the pole of the swings with a terrifying crunch.

"Was I?" said Snape, slowly walking over to her though his eyes still flickered to Harry's convulsing body.

"Dumbledore trusted you," said Natalie, her voice quivering. She hoped that somehow she could distract him long enough for Harry to figure out something.

Snape cackled, a sound that set the hair on the back of Natalie's neck on edge. She had never heard him cackle, not the crazed sound of sheer delight that often came from Bellatrix and Voldemort.

"Miss Malkae, the old fool does not trust anyone, even his precious Potter over here," said Snape, his eyes flashing.

"Don't you dare talk about him," hissed Harry, pushing himself against the swing. Snape waved his wand and an invisible whip lashed against Harry, striking him with a sharp crack. Harry dropped to the ground but his eyes never wavered from Snape.

"Potter, this is becoming rather tedious," said Snape, yawning. "I would have thought that you of all people would be quite happy to rid yourself of that manipulating fool."

Harry spat on the ground. "Go to hell you-

The whip cracked against Harry again. She saw Harry try to slide out of its way but like her, he seemed fixated to the same spot on the ground. His eyes widened in realization at what Snape had done. And when the whip struck him, Natalie cringed at the way his body trembled underneath it but he remained silent, staring at Snape in cold fury.

"I see that the Gryffindor bravery must always yield its extremely ugly head," commented Snape, lazily twirling his wand.

"At least I'm not a coward," hissed Harry.

And with that phrase, Snape's icy calmness disappeared. His face turned white, his eyes narrowed at Harry and his upper lip curled in fury, revealing an unpleasant set of yellow teeth. He swept his wand over Harry. Natalie waited in bated breath for the inevitable crack but this time, the whip twisted around Harry. To Natalie's horror, she saw smoke emanating from whip. Harry screamed in agony as the whip continued to spiral around him, leaving scorching marks over his jeans and then t shirt.

"No! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" screamed Natalie, tears flowing down her face. "NOOO!"

Snape stopped the spell before the whip reached Harry's neck but enough damage had been done. Harry lay against the pole, his entire body devoid of energy. Natalie knew he wanted to just move to do anything to assuage the pain but he could not because of Snape's immobilization.

"Did you enjoy that Potter?" shouted Snape, a crazed look of fury on his face.

"You're a terrible person," said Natalie, her voice trembling. "Torturing an innocent boy without a wand-

"Am I?" snarled Snape, returning his gaze towards her. "Didn't Potter tell you about what his father and his friends used to do to me?"

"Potter, you surely must remember," continued Snape, the expression on his face becoming even more maniacal. He truly did look like a bat now as he prowled towards Harry. "4 against 1; that was your wonderfully brave father. It must have been a proud moment for you to see your father in his element."

"I was proud of the way my mother defended your sorry arse," muttered Harry.

And Snape halted in his tracks, the furious expression on his face becoming much less crazed. Natalie's throat went dry. She knew exactly why Harry's comment bothered Snape.

Harry stared at Snape in pure anger. "And then to no one's surprise, you just treated her like the filth you thought she was."

"No."

Harry looked at Snape in bafflement. "What?"

"No," repeated Snape. All of his previous anger had dissipated, his voice suddenly devoid of any emotion. Instead, his entire facial expression and stance looked defeated, like a balloon that Harry's words had just pricked.

Harry appeared slightly unnerved by Snape's hollow voice and blank expression.

He looked at Natalie who could not meet his eyes; the guilt that she knew about his mother and Snape and he did not started to chrun within her stomach.

"You are wrong, Potter," said Snape quietly, his eyes focused on Harry who was only becoming even more edgy. "I never believed your mother to be filth."

"What?" said Harry who looked absolutely confused. "What are you saying?"

But Snape's eyes had left Harry to stare at the swings behind Harry. And suddenly Natalie realized exactly where they were. She was correct. She had never been to this park but she had seen it in a photograph, a photograph she now wished she never saw.

The guilt mounted within her, biting and ripping at the insides of her stomach. Harry did not deserve to be this confused, this astounded at what Snape was saying. She knew it was the truth. She had to say something.

"He's speaking the truth," said Natalie quietly, looking at Harry.

The bewildered expression on Harry's face did not waver. "What are you saying Natalie?" asked Harry.

"He and your mother were friends back at Hogwarts," said Natalie, barely believing that she was telling Snape's secret to Harry right in front of Snape. But Harry deserved to know; she was wrong before and anyway, Snape had just partially confessed to Harry.

"Who are you talking about?" said Harry, his face paling. "_Him_ and my mother, are you taking the mickey out of me?"

Natalie took a deep breath, trying to quell the panic building within her. "Yes. I saw a picture of them earlier this year in Snape's office. They seemed er very close in the picture. Snape told me himself that they were friends-apparently they grew up in the same area- in fact, I believe it is the neighbourhood around this park."

"What?" cried Harry, the confusion on his face slowly disappearing. His face was starting to pale, the first vestiges of shock appearing. "You can't be serious. Not _him._ He' s a murderer and why would he grow up in a Muggle neighbourhood? My mother would never have-

"Harry, why would I lying be to you? And anyway, it makes sense- Snape could very well have been a half blood- has he ever called himself a pureblood? It's true. You heard him."

Harry shuddered. "No I don't think so. It can't be." He pointed his finger at her. "You would have told me before anyway."

And the guilt surged through Natalie with painful force, seemingly cutting through her entire conscience. Her gaze averted from Harry.

"Ask him Harry," said Natalie, her voice very soft and starting to tremble again. "He's right here."

Harry shook his head at her in a combination of disbelief and exasperation.

He turned his head towards Snape and to Natalie's surprise, Harry was able to walk to Snape. She tried moving her feet and also found that she could walk but she chose to stay where she was, ready for the reaction from Harry she had feared for months.

Natalie noticed with a jolt of shock that the scorch marks on Harry's clothing and body had almost disappeared. And his walk showed no signs of pain or discomfort. Something was indeed very odd but her mind could not dwell for so long on this absurdity as she prepared herself for Harry's question.

Harry stood directly in front of the black haired man. "Is what Natalie saying true? Were _you _and my mother f-friends?"

Snape remained silent. Harry never took his eyes off Snape, waiting for the answer with a tormented expression on his face. It was almost as if he could not believe he was asking Snape this very question. For a few seconds, it seemed as if Harry would not get an answer but then Snape slowly lifted his eyes to meet Harry's anguished gaze.

He tilted his head to the ground..

"What?" said Harry, his eyes wide and bright.

"Yes, she is right," croaked Snape hoarsely in a barely loud enough voice for Natalie to hear.

Harry swallowed. He stepped backwards from Snape. His eyes closed.

When he opened his eyes, they matched Snape in their hollowness and lack of depth. Before, even when he was interrogating Snape, the lines on his face were taut, the expression clear and well defined like a coiled rope twisted and shaped into a series of images.

But now, upon learning the truth, the object tightening the rope and creating the tension had disappeared. None of the lines remained with any of the characteristic features Natalie had come to associate with Harry; the furious clenching of the draw and gritting of the teeth, the resolved knitting of his eyebrows and the frustrated curving of the lips into a barely perceptible frown. Instead, a flaccid impression stood in front of her. His eyes sunk into their pockets, barely able to watch his nose and mouth seemingly blend together and fall into one obscure, vague mass.

So enraptured in watching Harry unfold before her eyes, Natalie barely recognized that Snape, Dumbledore's murderer, stood beside them.

Before she could raise her wand though, Snape walked away from them. With one last cryptic glance at Harry, he twisted on the spot and vanished.

And with the resounding crack of Snape's apparition, Natalie and Harry were cast into a horrible silence. Natalie wanted to comfort him but her guilt held her back. She was partially responsible for whatever Harry was experiencing at the moment; he should have known earlier. How could she have rationalized to herself that it was right to keep something so intimate about his mother from him?

The silence extended between them. It seemed to be its own creature, rearing its head and spreading its claws with every word Natalie failed to utter, every step she could not take towards Harry. And as the moments stretched out between them, Natalie felt even more paralyzed and useless. The sense of futility accentuated with every second so that up to a certain point, she felt merely like another object in the park along with the four swings, the slide, the grass, the overextended branches and the eroded basketball nets. They all observed Harry, waiting for him to come alive again.

And then, a gust of wind rushed through the park. It whistled along the slide, shook the swings, swished the basketball nets and swept across the grass. The whistling sound of its approach startled Natalie, breaking her monotonous reverie. She shook her head. Harry needed her. That was most important, not her own selfish fears and guilt. She moved over to Harry, wanting to comfort him as much as she could. Despite her own guilt, he needed her now.

"Harry," whispered Natalie. She placed an arm on his shoulder.

Harry lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. The blankness in his usual penetrating, bright green orbs pained Natalie.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" said Harry quietly.

Natalie swallowed. She had no idea how to respond. Her mind almost seemed to go blank.

"Were you?" repeated Harry in equally as a hollow voice.

Natalie wanted to say something, even no but she could not. Not to the crestfallen, defeated person in front of her; he deserved much more from her.

"I thought as much," said Harry, the first trace of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"I would have liked to believe that you had more respect for me," said Harry, the sarcasm in his voice now so horribly biting. "But really, you never told me about your mother so why would I expect anything different about my mother? It's not like I should have known that she was friends with _him."_

Natalie could not help the tears flowing along her face. Harry was absolutely right. The guilt punctured her heart, one deadly blow after another. She was the reason he was like this now. He should never have had to learn about Snape and his mother in this situation, not when she knew. He deserved more from the person closest to him.

"So let me ask you _Natalie_, were they best friends?" asked Harry, stepping towards her.

Natalie tore her gaze from Harry. She could not bear to look at him.

She needed to answer him or he would be lost to her; a conviction filled her that this was the endpoint. But Natalie could not reply. She was just so numb, so horrified at herself, at what Harry must be feeling.

"Why should I expect anything more?" hissed Harry and with one last disdainful shake of the head, he turned on the spot and disappeared with a devastating crack.

Natalie awoke with a rush of terror.

"No, no, no, no, please, no, I'm sorry. Don't go," whispered Natalie frantically. She thrust whatever is covering her and swung her legs over the object she was on, ready to rush after Harry.

"Natalie, what's wrong?" said a familiar, worried voice. She felt a strong hand grip her shoulders.

Natalie gasped, realizing who was holding her. "Harry?"

She blinked her eyes, finally noticing her surroundings. She was in the hospital wing and evidently had been lying on one of the beds before she awoke. Natalie exhaled in relief. It was just a dream. Nothing actually happened. There was no grain of truth to it; she was here. With Harry.

Natalie let out another breath as she felt Harry's arms envelop her from behind.

"A nightmare?" he said from behind her.

Natalie nodded, allowing herself to slide into his reassuring hold.

"I know- it's terrible," said Harry soothingly. "But Natalie, none of it is real."

Natalie nodded again though an uneasiness sensation began to prickle her. Harry was right. It was not real. She swallowed. But it could be real.

Harry's grip tightened around her. "What was the nightmare about?"

Natalie swallowed, the uneasiness now cutting at her insides. "Just about what happened last night." She closed her eyes, not enjoying lying to Harry.

"Well it was indeed terrible, especially for you," said Harry softly. Natalie could almost feel him grimace behind her. The uneasiness had now turned into a very familiar feeling. And she hated the way the guilt filled her chest, tearing at her from the insides, pressing her mind onto the dream and what she had yet to tell Harry.

Harry kissed her on the cheek before he released her from the embrace. Natalie sighed, wanting to stay longer in his arms.

"So besides the nightmare, how are you feeling?" said Harry with a worried smile.

Natalie noticed that the searing pain affecting her joints had disappeared. She vaguely remembered Madam Pomfrey forcing her to swallow a multitude of unpleasant emotions, but clearly, those potions were very effective. She still felt tired but none of the scorching pain that seemed to shoot through her with every flicker of movement remained.

"Much better," answered Natalie as confidently as she could. "Madam Pomfrey can definitely do wonders."

"I know," said Harry with a smile.

Natalie nodded. "And Bellatrix didn't really use any Dark Magic on me," muttered Natalie. "So I don't imagine there would have been any complications."

Harry's face darkened. "Well whatever she did still caused you a lot of pain."

Natalie cringed. She really did not want to talk about that encounter again, but she knew Harry and Kalissa both would want a full description as would surely Hermione and Ron.

"Harry, I know you want to know what Bellatrix did to me, but can we wait for Kalissa, Hermione and Ron to come? I really don't want to describe the encounter more than once."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Of course. I know- I wouldn't talk about something like that after it happened so soon and you don't have to talk if it's really bothering you."

Natalie smiled at him. Despite the brewing storm of emotions within her, she could not help but be comforted by his words. It was nice to have someone like him there for her.

She touched her hand to his cheek. "Thank you Harry but I'd rather get over with it now. And of course, I have a lot of questions to ask the others."

Harry smiled at her. "Yes and you probably have a lot of questions for me as well. So I'll go tell the others? Everyone's been quite worried about what happened to you. They're all at supper now- you must be quite hungry. Shall I fetch you something to eat?"

Natalie frowned. She realized her sense of time was rather vague at the moment; she hoped that she had not been sleeping for a long time. "Harry, how long was I sleep for?"

"About twelve hours. The attack on Hogwarts was last night," answered Harry. "Don't worry, you haven't missed anything important."

Natalie breathed in relief. "Ok good, and yeah I am rather hungry- whatever you can find I imagine will be quite delicious for me at the moment."

"Yes, I'll be back in about fifteen minutes or so," said Harry with another gentle smile. "And Natalie, you should lie down on the bed; I know you want to think about last night but we'll have plenty of time for that. Right now, you're probably still tired."

Natalie smiled at him. "Thank you Harry. I really do appreciate you." His cheeks reddened. He gave her a crooked smile and walked away the doors leading into the wing.

"You're awake. Potter should have informed me!"exclaimed a sharp voice from her left.

Natalie turned her head to see Madam Pomfrey suddenly appear at her side.

"How are you feeling?" said the Healer, her eyes scrutinizing Natalie's body.

"No pain," said Natalie, smiling warmly at the matron. "Those potions worked."

"No, the pain will only go away if you continue to take those potions, " replied Madam Pomfrey briskly. "But other than that, you have improved quite a bit my dear. No bruises or rashes, you can obviously move without any pain and it does not look like you're suffering from an infection."

Natalie sighed. "How long do I have to take those potions?" She looked distastefully at the green and brown vials Madam Pomfrey had somehow placed by her bedside.

"Three days should be sufficient," answered Madam Pomfrey, waving her wand over Natalie's body to check for any other ailing conditions.

Natalie raised her eyebrows."Three days?"

Madam Pomfrey glared at her in disapproval. "Unless you want to walk around wincing, you will have to take those potions for 3 days. You should be grateful for them; I have no idea why you students find the potions so unpleasant. It is a small price to pay."

"I am grateful for them," answered Natalie. "I will take them for three days."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. She pointed at the vials on Natalie's bedside table."Please drink those."

Natalie groaned. "Yes I will."

Madam Pomfrey continued to stare at her. "Now."

Natalie nodded, trying to hide her irritation at being told so emphatically what to do. She sat on the bed and one by one, drained each of the vials into her mouth, doing her best to ignore the extremely pungent and bitter tastes of each one.

Upon checking the vials to ensure they were completely emptied, Madam Pomfrey gave a satisfied nod. "Shall I bring you your supper now?"

"Harry has gone to bring it for me," answered Natalie with a yawn, realizing how tired she was.

"Oh yes," said Madam Pomfrey, her lips twitching. "Potter was very worried about you; he spent the entire day here. He has an annoying habit of getting in my way."

Natalie smiled in spite of the sharp pangs of guilt the comment arose within her. She sensed that the woman had not missed Harry's conversation with her earlier. "I'm very lucky to have him."

"Very well then, Miss Malkae. I will be in my office if you require any assistance. I will keep you here for tonight and you can leave tomorrow although I would prefer you stay for another day. Please have some rest and remember no more than two guests."

Natalie nodded. "Thank you for your help."

The Healer gave her a small smile before heading in the direction of her office.

Once she left, Natalie let out a huge breath, unable to contain the storm of emotions within her. The unease, disappointment and guilt consumed her, ingratiating itself with her every thought. Harry cared so much for her; she imagined if he could, he would have taken all of those Cruciatus curses for her, driving himself to the point of madness. She was extremely lucky to have someone like that as a boyfriend.

And he did not deserve all of her lies, not about his mother of all people. It just was not right that she knew something so immense about his mother and that she was deciding whether he should know. How had she come to that decision? She was essentially playing with his life and psyche by not telling him. Whatever the dream may have represented, it was correct about at least one fact. The knowledge of his mother and Snape would tear apart his perspective. But he deserved to know.

A small voice in her head reminded her that her feelings were never this strong before the dream. Natalie shook her head, trying to rid herself of the voice.

Her guilt and own reservations was building within her for months. Every time Harry would talk wistfully about his mother, she remembered the transient spells of emotion that overcame her. Ever since she decided with Kalissa not to tell Harry, the guilt had never gone away but just grew and festered, pushing at whatever walls she created to contain it.

She was certain that the dream had not changed her opinion. Rather it had made the guilt much sharper and real for her; this was not some secret she could rationalize and justify to herself and keep hidden because it was not her secret. This was completely different than hiding her identity

And most importantly, this was not about her. Her feelings would not dictate her actions. She remembered why she had decided not to tell Harry. _Because the secret did not belong to her._ Yet how did that mean should Harry not know? Natalie wanted to know everything about her mother's past and even though she hated delving into Bellatrix's mind, she was happy at seeing those memories of her parents. Her obligation to Snape, in spite of the fact that he saved her life, should have meant less to her than her obligation to Harry. And that was her mistake.

Natalie inhaled deeply. She would tell Harry very soon. Her resolve and arrival at this decision somehow calmed her, lessening the torment within her and at least assuaging the stinging edge of her guilt.

She turned her attention away from that dream. There were other important subjects she needed to consider.

Dumbledore's death.

Natalie shuddered, pulling the blankets over her. How could he have died? An unsettling weightlessness overcame her at the thought that he had left them. She clutched at her sheets. It just could not be. She would never see those twinkling blue eyes, hear the cheery and reassuring voice and feel the full sweeping, comprehensive strength of his presence. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. After a few seconds, she finally felt like she had landed from that horrible falling sensation. A pit formed in her stomach. She would miss the Headmaster so much; she knew they lost an important ally but he was a great friend to all of them, someone they loved and cherished immensely.

The Headmaster had turned into one of the most important people in her life. When Kalissa had left last summer, she spent so much time with him alone in his office. She was extremely grateful for his presence and the kindness and warmth he showed her.

As manipulative and cryptic as he may have been, Natalie knew that all of his efforts and plans were orchestrated for others; there never seemed to be any regard for himself. It seemed almost like a long time ago, he had decided on his sacrifice and never strayed from this mission. Natalie sighed. For that selflessness and even not considering the tremendous knowledge and power he possessed, he was truly a brilliant person.

She could not fathom the impact his death must have on Harry and Kalissa; Dumbledore was a father figure for Harry and even Kalissa to a certain extent. Both had grown under his supervision and guidance and used him as a beacon to orient themselves. And now for him to be lost forever, Natalie swallowed. It would indeed be a loss they could not replace.

Natalie closed her eyes. The knowledge that Albus Dumbledore was now a dead man remained almost impossible to grasp. He always appeared so impenetrable and immune to all of Voldemort's evil and then to be killed by one of his closest allies…Natalie clenched her fists. He never deserved such a death. She shook her head. She could not believe it was Snape who had committed the murder. Even though the man loathed Harry, she was certain, especially after what she saw about Lily and how he saved her at Christmas, that he was firmly on their side. None of this mess made any sense. And she could not see Snape turning into the man she saw in her dream.

The sound of doors opening in the Hospital wing and a multitude of footsteps broke Natalie's reverie. She looked towards the door and noticed Harry, two plates of food in his hands, walking to her along with Kalissa, Ron, Hermione and Minerva anxiously following him.

Natalie smiled at the approaching group. At that moment, a wave of contentment rolled through her at the knowledge that so many people cared for her.

Not surprisingly, Kalissa managed to overtake Harry and reached Natalie first. And she flung her arms around Natalie, bringing her into one of those fierce hugs that almost bordered on suffocation. Natalie smiled into the woman's hair, relishing the familiar cinnamon scent and those soft, long locks..

"Oh Natalie," whispered Kalissa into her ears. "You gave me such a fright. Never do that again."

Natalie chuckled as Kalissa pulled back to stare into Natalie's face. "I don't think I had a choice."

Kalissa's grip, if possible, tightened on Natalie's shoulders. She embraced Natalie once again, this time taking Natalie by surprise.

"And thank you for jumping in front of me for hisKilling Curse, but please never do that again. If the curse had struck you, I honestly would not have been able to go on. You are far too important to me."

This time, Natalie pulled back with a small smile. "What would you have done in the same situation? "

Kalissa shot her a disapproving glance before smiling at her and releasing her. Natalie sighed. They would evidently have a conversation about Natalie's decision. She did not regret it at all. Coming so close to death unnerved her but she would do anything to save Kalissa's life.

Hermione came forward to hug Natalie who returned the hug fervently. She felt Ron give her a rather enthusiastic pat on the back and exchanged a reassuring smile with a worried Minerva. She had no idea how much she had missed her friends; when she flew off with Bellatrix, she had assumed that she would never see any of them again.

Natalie smiled and mouthed "thank you" at Harry who placed the two plates of food on a tray in front of her. Ron placed a glass of pumpkin juice on the tray for which she was grateful to quench her thirst.

"How are you doing Natalie?" said Hermione when she too released herself from the hug.

"Much better than yesterday," answered Natalie happily. "No pain and having you all here is very nice though I hope Madam Pomfrey will not become too annoyed."

"Poppy will understand," said Kalissa with a nonchalant wave in the direction of her office.

"When can you come out?" asked Ron, sitting in a chair by the bed. Natalie wanted to laugh at the way he was eying the chocolate cake on her tray.

"She says tomorrow morning but I'll have to take those potions for a few more days," replied Natalie, taking a bite of the shepherd's pie. She closed her eyes in bliss at the hot and delicious taste of the food.

"So the potions are helping?" asked Hermione, sitting on the bed on Natalie's left side. She noticed Harry do the same on Natalie's right side.

"Yes, very much so," said Natalie. "Though the taste isn't the best."

Ron snorted. "The potions she's given me aren't so delightful anyway."

Natalie smiled at the glare Hermione shot Ron. She really wanted to find out about what happened yesterday.

"How are you lot doing anyway? The castle isn't too damaged I hope? And is everyone ok? Oh, how is Tonks and those Ravenclaws and Professor Flitwick?"

Harry raised his hand to stop her. She saw the others smile at her in amusement too."We'll have enough time for those questions but at the moment, you should eat."

"Yes, yes I will," said Natalie impatiently. She took a few large forkfuls of the shepherd pie, enjoying the food but she needed to know, especially about Tonks and the others Bellatrix had tortured within Hogwarts. She shuddered at all of the blood she had seen splayed over Professor Flitwick's body.

After another a few mouthfuls of food, she looked toward Harry and Kalissa. "So is Tonks fine and Professor Flitwick and the Ravenclaws?"

"Yes everyone is doing well," answered Minerva who had taken a seat on the bed next to Natalie. "Professor Flitwick and the students who Bellatrix attacked were admitted to St. Mungo's. They all are doing fine at the moment; Professor Flitwick suffered particularly severe injuries but through the great efforts and expertise of the Healers at St. Mungo's , he is recovering. Nymphadora only suffered minor injuries and she was released from St. Mungo's yesterday at lunch time. As you may surmise, it has been difficult to keep her at rest."

"Oh good," said Natalie in relief. She remembered how terrible and damaged those bodies appeared in the tower. "And everyone else is alright?"

Minerva frowned at her. "I do not know what you mean by everyone else Natalie. I believe you heard about Albus. The Aurors suffered a number of casualties as well as there were a few deaths in Hogsmeade. As far as I am aware, I am happy to say that none of the students have been killed nor any members of the Order."

Natalie's throat went very dry. Even though she did not know these people, she could only imagine the shock and devastation their families must have experienced when they heard of the deaths. "I'm very sorry."

"As are all of us," said Kalissa this time with a sad smile. "It is a horrible inevitability of war though those Hogsmeade villagers never should have become caught in the crossfire."

"You know how some of them are Kalissa, " Minerva replied with a small smile. "They would not let Death Eaters come into their village."

"Pride can be a reckless attribute," muttered Kalissa, running a hand through her hair. They all remained silent for a moment. Natalie could not help but wonder at the sensations and emotions she would experience if she suddenly heard of Kalissa's death from a complete stranger.

"So Natalie," Kalissa said, breaking the silence and arousing them all out of their contemplations. "We are all very curious about what happened to you last night."

Ron and Hermione both looked at her with rather intent and concerned gazes. Seeing the worry on their faces warmed Natalie's insides.

Natalie smiled. "Can I finish my food first? You did say I need the energy."

"Oh yes very well," said Kalissa with an amused smile. Her expression turned more serious. "If you don't want to talk about it-

"Then you don't have to," finished Hermione. She looked apologetically at Kalissa who merely winked at her.

Natalie laughed. "Harry already had this conversation with me. I'm not going to enjoy talking about it but I do believe you need to know."

"Thank you Natalie," said Hermione, exchanging a smile with Natalie.

"We should be thanking Harry," said Kalissa though her eyes were fixated on Natalie and studying her intently. Natalie tried to focus on eating her meal; as much as she appreciated Kalissa's concern and recognition that the encounter with Bellatrix was very important and difficult for her, the intense scrutiny nevertheless unnerved her.

"Why don't you lot tell me about what happened after Bellatrix took me away while I eat?" said Natalie as she took a swig of her pumpkin juice. "And you too Harry. I want to hear what happened with Dumbledore."

Kalissa relaxed, a smile spreading across her features. "Very well then- I think Harry-

"Kalissa, we are in the Hospital wing," interjected Minerva sternly. "Poppy is in her office and not to mention the other students that are here."

Kalissa waved her off. "No need to fret Minerva. I have already cast the Silencing charms around us; we can all shout at each other and no one will hear a single sound. And from what I can see, there are only about 3 other students here and they have all been conveniently placed at the opposite end of the wing from Natalie. I will have to thank Poppy for her discretion."

"Still, this is not the opportune time to discuss such matters," retorted Minerva sharply. "I am certain Poppy has limits on the number of visitors Natalie can have at a time and I think we are already exceeding her time limit."

"I have already taken care of that particular possibility, " Kalissa said with a rather embarrassed flush of her cheeks.

"What?" Minerva exclaimed, glaring furiously at Kalissa. "Please tell me, you did not cast a Befuddling charm on Poppy."

Hermione stared at Kalissa with a slightly reproachful look while Ron and Harry merely gawked at her in a combination of wonder and admiration. Natalie had to contain a smile. Watchin Minerva and Kalissa argue like schoolgirls was always a pleasant experience.

Kalissa shrugged her shoulders at Minerva. "I did not want to cast the charm and you should not worry Minerva. It will only cause her to believe Natalie is fast asleep with none of us here; she can still attend to the other students who cannot see us anyway past the curtains. I feel like we have enough time this evening to discuss certain important matters-

"Do you even know how many school rules you have broken-

"I am perfectly aware Minerva. You seem to forget a bit too easily that I was once a teacher here as well."

"Well obviously you have forgotten too!"

Kalissa drew a deep breath, raising a hand to stop Minerva. "As much as I enjoy these passionate arguments, we are not accomplishing anything. Now I want to hear about Natalie's experience and she must want to hear about our ventures last night and this might be the only time in which we can have such a conversation. If that entails breaking a few rules, then I apologize for the actions but not the intention."

Minerva shook her head at Kalissa, crossing her arms and tearing her gaze from the black haired woman. Natalie knew who would win the argument. "We may have other times to do so."

"Then when is that time?" said Kalissa. "I appreciate your concern and caution Minerva but with everything going on at the school right now, we may not have another opportunity to hear Natalie's story or for them to learn about what I think I may have happened between Tom and Harry last night."

Harry, Natalie, Hermione and Ron turned their heads towards Kalissa in unison.

Minerva sighed. "Kalissa-

"Minerva, you know how busy both of us will be in the next few days," said Kalissa firmly. "I am sorry if I am being forceful but this might be the only time we can have a proper discussion about such secret matters. I hardly doubt that any Death Eater spies are in the Hospital wing with us. And again I am sorry for casting that charm on Poppy."

Minerva scowled at her, crossing her arms against her chest but did not object.

Kalissa nodded at her. "Thank you Minerva."

She turned her gaze to Natalie. "I will try to give my best account of what happened at Hogwarts based on my own observations the rest of you can add anything that I am missing. So starting when I was in my 'home, I had and still have an object that allowed me to communicate with Albus but we both decided to only employ it in the most dire and emergent situations. As you can imagine, the night when he arrived at Hogsmeade and saw the Dark Mark over the castle represented such a situation- he alerted me. I quickly appparated into Hogsmeade, made my way to Hogwarts and encountered the battle you were all fighting. From then, I helped with apprehending and driving out the Death Eaters. I think first with your siblings Ron and your father and then with Minerva and Kingsley. I never saw Ron or Hermione although now, I wish I would have gone to help them with the Death Eathers you three were fighting. We were generally ver successful with the Death Eaters in that region of the castle. However, we were too slow to find the ones accompany Malfoy and Snape and who you must have seen Harry. Minerva, Kingsley and I came across Snape, Malfoy and the Carrows after they had left you Harry. I managed to kill one of the Carrows and capture the other but although both Harry and I were pursuing them, Snape and Malfoy managed to escape." Her voice became much thicker, her eyes glistening. " And of course, it was then that we came across Albus' body." Kalissa took a moment to compose herself. "It was indeed a terrible sight. After that, Harry and I returned to the Hospital Wing. A few moments after arriving there, we came across Bilius and a few of his Ravenclaws; they looked much worse than they are now. And then Nymphadora arrived in a stretcher." Kalissa exchanged a significant glance with her. Natalie gulped. She knew why Kalissa had paused to look at her, remembering exactly what Bellatrix had said to Tonks. The Auror was aware of Natalie's identity and must have told Kalissa. But this knowledge did not bother Natalie as much she would have expected. Perhaps because she believed Tonks to be very trustworthy and also because as Bellatrix so obnoxiously noted, they were family; in a horribly distorted sense but nonetheless still connected and that fact somehow assured Natalie that Tonks would not judge her.

"Nymphadora told us about Bellatrix," continued Kalissa. "I decided to set off to look for you by myself but Harry managed to catch me and force me to let him join me. We started apparating to various locations around the country where I believed Bellatrix may have brought you. The first location was your father's village and we actually stopped in front of his house, but it seemed exactly as I had left it in the past and there were no signs of magic. Of course, I now realize that Tom changed the wards I cast on the house; one of those wards prevented me, the original caster, from detecting any magical activity. We then looked at other locations before I realized that your father's house was just a bit different than the one I set charms around. The outline around the house was not the same blue as I remembered. We returned to David's home and I began examining the equations and runes that underlined the wards I had set around the house. And they had all been changed; I am still surprised that Tom was able to manipulate those equations as it takes many years of practice and experience to have that power and skill. I was not able to reverse all that Tom changed but I managed to use a few of his changes to determine where you and Bellatrix were. And that led us to the graveyard and the whole fiasco there. Would you like to add anything Ron, Hermione or Harry?"

"I think Kalissa pretty much covered everything," said Hermione, looking at Ron who nodded too. "After Bill was attacked and you left with Tonks, Ron and I went to the Hospital wing with the others to make sure Bill, Fleur and Ron were treated."

Natalie nodded when Hermione finished."Thank you," said Natalie to all of them. She was grateful most of her confusion had been cleared. "I don't know what would have happened if you two had not come there in time."

"We were both pretty much at wit's end," said Kalissa with a wry smile at Harry. "I imagine Harry was rather irritated with my harsh tone."

"I'd rather not think about what would have happened," said Harry quietly. "But you said you wanted to hear about the Horcrux."

Natalie finished her last spoonful of Shephard's pie as she nodded a bit too enthusiastically at Harry. "Oh yes please."

"It was not as successful as you may think," said Harry with a distant look in his eyes. "Well, Dumbledore found the cave in which he thought the locket was located. We apparated there, entered the cave but as you might expect, there were quite a few things guarding the Horcrux. The locket was actually in a basin in a middle of a lake in the cave. There was a boat anchored to the wall that would guide us to the basin; Voldemort likely intended the boat to be used by himself to check on the locket. So we stepped into the boat and it set off ; as the boat took us to the basin, we noticed bodies in the lake." Harry swallowed. "Inferi."

"Oh," said Natalie quietly. "That's horrible." She could not fathom how cruel a person could be to take advantage of someone's dead body in such a way.

"Yes," agreed Harry, the look in his eyes becoming even more distant. "When we arrived at the crop of rock with the basin containing the locket, we found that the basin was filled with a liquid and a goblet by its side-

"What liquid?" interjected Natalie. She saw the pained looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. Evidently they had already heard the story and the liquid was not pleasant.

"I do not know. I never tasted it," replied Harry bitterly. "Dumbledore decided that the only way to get the locket from the bottom of the basin was to drink it; all of his spells did not work and obviously the basin was guarded by charms that prevented any physical emptying. So he decided to be the one to drink the liquid- I tried to do it myself but he would not let me. Before he started to drink the liquid, he told me to keep giving him the goblet no matter what he said." Harry closed his eyes, shaking his head. Natalie wanted to hold his hand but she was too far away.

"Harry," said Natalie gently. "You don't have to tell me if it's causing you this much distress."

Harry opened his eyes. "No. You should know what happened. So as he drank the liquid, he started to change. He became very desperate, pleading and begging for me not to give him the liquid; it must have been terrible but I knew what he had told me. And I kept giving him the goblet." Harry shook his head. "It must have been poision; it was exhausting and weakening him so much."

Natalie moved her tray to the side, pushed over her covers and slid over next to Harry. She grasped his hand in her hand, squeezing it.

"Harry, Albus would have wanted you to keep giving him the goblet," Kalissa said softly.

"You did the right thing mate," said Ron earnestly. "I mean, it would have been much easier to not give him the liquid."

Harry nodded at all of them. He smiled at Natalie.

"When he finally finished, we took the locket and left in the boat. And that's when the Inferi came out; they were really a horrible sight to behold. Dumbledore could barely move let alone cast a spell. I somehow carried him onto the boat and managed to just keep the Inferi off before we reached the shore. And once we were out of the cave, I don't know how I did it but I just did those three D's and apparated both of us to Hogsmeade. When we arrived there, we saw the Dark Mark and that's when he must have contacted you, Kalissa."

"Yes I do believe so," said Kalissa, also with a slightly wistful expression. "Thank you Harry- Albus would have been very proud of you, of that I am certain. Natalie, you look to be finished-

"No, I'll continue," said Harry rather forcefully, his voice becoming stronger. All of them except Natalie stared at him in a combination of alarm, fear and wonder.

"H-harry," spluttered Kalissa, surprising Natalie with how soft her voice had become. "Really, if you're not comfortable-

"I think I should talk about what happened," said Harry with a grim smile. "All of you deserve to know exactly how he died."

"Thank you Harry," Natalie whispered, placing her other hand over his. Harry caught her eyes for a moment and her heart dropped at how vivid and bright his eyes were. Re living this experience was obviously causing him tremendous pain but as was typical for Harry, he was willing to endure the agony for others.

"Yes, Harry, thank you. It means a lot to all of us," said Hermione, her voice quivering. Ron and Minerva nodded along, both smiling at Harry.

Harry swallowed. "Once we saw the Dark Mark, Dumbledore asked Madam Rosmerta for her brooms. He told me to put my Invisibility cloak over myself. And we flew to the Astronomy Tower." Harry ran a hand through his hair, turning his gaze through the window to the setting sun.

Natalie wrapped her arm around Harry, waiting for him to continue.

"When we landed on the Astronomy Tower, we heard footsteps coming up the staircase. Dumbledore cast an Immobilizing spell on me but the casting of that spell kept him distracted from whoever was coming up the stairs. And that person who was Malfoy was able to disarm Dumbledore." Harry closed and opened his eyes again. "I have no idea why he immobilized me. Anyway, I should not have let him."

"Harry, you could have never prepared for that," said Natalie softly.

Harry nodded. "Well then Malfoy started talking with Dumbledore- he could not see me because I was under the cloak. And he told Dumbledore about how he had been branded with the Dark Mark and the assignment Voldemort gave him to kill Dumbledore."

"You were right Harry all along," stated Minerva, frowning. "I was foolish not to listen to you."

"We all should have listened to Harry," said Natalie emphatically. She hated herself for refusing to believe Harry's assertion that Malfoy was a Death Eater. If only she listened just once. "You saw it and none of us believed you."

"Harry, I'm so sorry," whispered Hermione, her eyes sparkling. "Natalie is absolutely right. Everything was pointing towards Malfoy and none of us wanted to believe it."

Ron stood up and clapped Harry on the back. "Mate, we were the ones who were the nutters. You saw through him all along.

Harry gave them a sad smile. "I don't blame any of you; what I saying at the time did sound rather absurd and he hoodwinked all of us."

Natalie saw Kalissa frown at Harry, almost as if she doubted what he just said before she spoke. "Then I suppose he was responsible for the two attacks on that Gryffindor girl and Ron."

Harry gritted his teeth. "Yes. In his words, the necklace and the mead were both intended for Dumbledore."

Hermione clicked her fingers. "What a bloody scoundrel," hissed Hermione, surprising all of them with her language. "When I see him next, he's-

"Not going to be very happy," said Natalie, chuckling.

"I should be the one that's pissed," commented Ron, smiling at Hermione and looking rather pleased at her reaction. "And trust me I am. When I find him, '_Stupefy_ 'will be the last spell rolling off my tongue."

"Well Dumbledore knew about the assignment from Snape- he told Malfoy," said Harry bitterly. "Said he did not want to confront Malfoy because he feared Voldemort would kill Malfoy if he found out Dumbledore knew."

"What?" cried Hermione jumping off the bed. "How could he let Malfoy almost kill Ron and Katie?"

"Miss Granger, please calm down," said Minerva though she herself looked rather taken aback.

"Ron and Katie almost died Professor!" exclaimed Hermione indignantly. "And all because he wanted to keep that idiot safe. What if a student did die?"

"I agree with Hermione," stated Natalie. "It's just so reckless for him to risk something like that. Why not turn Malfoy to the Aurors if he knew he was a Death Eater? Too many people could have been hurt."

Ron looked rather sick. "What was going on in that nut's head?"

"Mr. Weasley, language!" reprimanded Minerva.

"I honestly don't know," said Harry with a shrug. "Dumbledore just saw the good in too many people. I don't think Malfoy deserved the benefit of the doubt either."

"I have to admit," said Kalissa, speaking on the subject for the first time. "that I can't fathom what Albus was thinking. Maybe he could have taken his chances at the beginning but after the first attack, why not take more action?"

"Is there more that we do not know?" posed Natalie, trying to scramble for an answer to explain Dumbledore's reasoning.

Kalissa smiled at her. "There must be- I hope at the very least…"

"It would not be out of character," said Harry disdainfully with a shake of his head.

"What Malfoy did was terrible and he should be in Azkhaban," said Kalissa emphatically. "And when we find him, he will receive his appropriate punishment. But Harry can you please continue and the rest of you, let's calm down and allow him to finish the story."

Harry took a deep breath as everyone else quieted and returned to their positions. "I could tell after a few minues that Malfoy was not going to kill Dumbledore- he did not have it in him to murder someone in cold blood. A few of the Death Eaters joined him- the Carrows and Greyback I believe and they wanted Malfoy to do the job but he could not. At that point, I figured Dumbledore was delaying till maybe some help could come- I was unable to do anything because of his spell. But then Snape arrived."

Everyone seemed to shudder or swallow in unison, all acutely aware of what approached. Natalie squeezed Harry even more tightly, her throat again becoming very dry and her stomach taking a steep lurch.

Harrry breathed again. "And when Snape came, you could tell right away that he wasn't go to help us. He just seemed so cold- it wasn't like he was angry but like this was the moment he was looking forward to for a long time. He didn't care what Dumbledore did for him, how much Dumbledore protected him; he was ready to commit murder. And I think Dumbledore saw it too- he started pleading for his life- I've never heard him beg. But Snape wouldn't have any of it." Harry closed his eyes, his face contorted in anguish. Natalie felt his body begin to shake under her grasp. "He cast the Killing curse on Dumbledore."

A silence passed over them. Harry's explanation made Dumbledore's death much more real. Before, it was a devastating and brutal occurrence that resonated throughout all of them but Harry's story gave his death a certain sharpness, clarity and individuality with which they could all identify. Sensations, feelings and thoughts they could all experience with Dumbledore. Natalie too shuddered. She could not imagine the horrible helplessness and desperation he must have felt when he saw Snape raise his wand. Natalie never wanted to place herself in that position but knowing Dumbledore's experience helped, stroking a resolved, finished air around his death as if she knew all she need to know and could move on. She imagined the sensation was very similar for the others.

Yet Natalie could not help but picture the Snape in her dream pointing his wand at a weakened and disarmed Dumbledore and whispering, "_Avada Kedavra_!" Her chest tightened at the image of Dumbledore flying off the astronomy tower, her heart pounded and ached at the helpless look on his face. It was horrible. But a smaller voice in her head said why? What was there to gain and why would he support the man now of all times? And the thoughts about Lily continued to bother Natalie. Voldemort killed his best friend. Natalie remembered the photograph very well; the devotion and love for Lily on his face was clear to anyone. It was definitely not a felling that could leave him. Yet then what would cause him to turn to Voldemort's cause?

Natalie closed her eyelids. She also remembered overhearing Snape telling Malfoy about his Unbreakable Vow. Could that have something to do with his murderous betrayal? But how? She could not understand how such a vow would lead Snape to kill Dumbledore. Unless, Natalie pondered, if the original vow was for him to kill Dumbledore. But that seemed so unlikely since Voldemort gave Malfoy that assignment. Of course, as Natalie's mind continued to run over all the possibilities, he could be working for neither Dumbledore and Voldemort and just for himself. But then why place himself in so danger by killing Dumbledore? He essentially guaranteed himself a death, a Dementor's kiss or at the least, an extremely long imprisonment in Azkhaban if the Aurors or Order found him.

She saw Kalissa's frown, recognizing that she was probably thinking along the same lines as Natalie. It looked like Snape was a cold blooded murderer working for Voldemort but not everything confirmed that statement as complete truth.

After a few more long seconds of the reflective, somber silence, Natalie cleared her throat. Despite the heaviness in her chest Harry's story, created, her curiosity was piquing. She wanted to know about the locket.

"Harry, if you do not mind, what have you done with the locket?"

And then abruptly, everyone in the room seemed to sigh in exhaustion. She saw Kalissa cross her arms and shake her head, Minerva purse her lips and Ron and Hermione exchange worried glances with one another. Harry's expression darkened, his eyes downcast to the floor.

Natalie gulped. She hoped her words did not appear rash or insensitive but she gathered that it was not her question spurring the reaction.

Harry took a deep breath. He released himself from Natalie's hold, clenching his fists.

"It was not Slytherin's locket- a fake. It was not the Horcrux," said Harry, running a hand through his hair. "The entire trip was useless."

"What?" exclaimed Natalie, completely bewildered. "He planted a fake one there?"

Harry shook his head. "No, the Horcrux, which was Slytherin's locket, was hidden in that basin but somebody else already stole that locket from the basin and replaced the basin with another locket which is the one we found. That person left a message with the locket we took- here it is."

Harry took out a small piece of parchment from a pocket in his trousers and handed it over to Natalie. She read over the message on the parchment.

_To the Dark Lord_

_I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stoen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more._

_R.A.B._

Natalie could not keep the shock from appearing on her face. As unbelievable as it sounded, someone, who appeared to be acting against Voldemort, apparently had found the Horcrux's location and perhaps even learned of the existence of the Horcurxes before Dumbledore.

"You would not know who this R.A.B. is, woulrd you Natalie?" asked Kalissa, walking over to her to also read the message.

"No I cannot think of anyone with those initials," said Natalie, her head running over everyone she knew having a surname starting with a "B". Naturally, she started with the Blacks but she did not know enough about the family to find someone with a first name starting with a "R". And other families she could think that may have those initials were either from Durmstrang or people she barely knew within Hogwarts.

"It might not even be a name," said Minerva. "A nickname this person has for him or herself may be very likely, especially given the rather brash nature of the message he or she left for You know who."

"Or it could be just be there to lead You know who in the wrong direction," added Ron, looking expectantly at Kalissa.

"I agree," noted Kalissa with a smile at Ron whose cheeks reddened. "Those initials are not very reliable information-

"But is the only clues we have at the moment," said Harry bitterly.

Kalissa frowned at him. "Yes that is the problem we face."

"Harry you shouldn't be so disappointed. Your trip was useful," said Natalie earnestly, believing fully in her words. "I mean we now know someone else is working against Voldemort and has maybe thwarted him already. Looking for this person will be frustrating but we know that Voldemort is not in control of at least one of his Horcruxes."

"But look at the price we paid for this information," retorted Harry, his voice trembling. "Dumbledore….."

Natalie gripped his wrist. "The Death Eaters were going to attack Hogwarts that night regardless of whether you and Dumbledore had gone searching for that Horcrux. They attacked because Malfoy found a way to allow the Death Eaters into Hogwarts, not because Professor Dumbledore was gone. Snape would have looked for Professor Dumbledore to kill him anyway."

"Natalie's right," said Kalissa assuredly. "The invasion fooled everybody; the fact that you and Albus were not at the castle was an unfortunate coincidence. And do not think Harry that Albus would not have been as defenseless if Severus had approached him in his office."

"Malfoy could not have possibly known Dumbledore and you were not at the castle that night," said Hermione forcefully, placing a hand on his back.

Harry released another breath. The cloudiness in his eyes and dark expression on his face cleared slightly. "Yes, alright. And I suppose it's not such a bad thing that of the two Horcruxes we do not know the location, one of them is not in Voldemort's hands." Though Natalie sensed, judging by his tense expression and posture and his lack of eye contact with anybody, that the pain and torment was still simmering within him.

"Bloody brilliant I reckon," said Ron, clapping his hands.

"Language Weasley," admonished Minerva, shooting Ron a stern glare.

A small smile appeared on Harry's face at Ron's reaction. He then looked towards Natalie, his expression softening. "I think that's all I can tell you about what happened."

"Thank you Harry. It must have been terrible for you to go through everything again- we are all very grateful," said Natalie, stroking her arm and trying her best to send as positive energy, warmth and comfort to him through her gaze and touch.

"Yes, Harry, that was very admirable for you," Kalissa agreed, her voice also soft and soothing. "I think I speak for all of us when I say learning how Albus died has helped immensely with the grieving process. So thank you."

Every one else nodded in assent to Kalissa's words, smiling at Harry.

Kaliss turned to Natalie with an intent expression. "Now Natalie, I see that your supper looks to be finished. Would you be willing to share your encounter with Bellatrix with us?"

Natalie groaned. "What about Harry and Voldemort's exchanges with the phoenix?"

Kalissa smiled. "That can wait after your story."

Natalie sighed. "Oh fine, just let me compose myself before I satisfy all of your curiosities."

Minerva cleared her throat. "Natalie, if you do not want to share with all of us, we will understand." She saw Ron and Hermione nod.

"She is your mother," added Harry softly. "It must be terrible talking about all she put you through."

Natalie smiled at all of them, warmed and touched by their concern and consideration. "Like Harry said before, all of you deserve to know and I know Kalissa is not going to let me out of this hospital wing before I tell her exactly what happened."

Kalissa's face reddened. "Natalie, you know I would never force you-

Natalie raised her hand. "Of course I know Kalissa."

She breathed again and then relayed her story to the others, starting from when she and Tonks arrived at the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. She described Bellatrix's flight and apparition with her to her father's house and then the stream of memories that Bellatrix showed her. Natalie let Harry clasp and squeeze her hand when she explained those memories though she chose not to tell them her own interpretation of the memories: the realization that Bellatrix and her father were sincerely in love and that Bellatrix may have loved her at some point too. For some reason she could not explain, she wanted those revelations to remain to herself. She needed to mull over and appreciate those feeling for some time before she could consider telling others. She then described Bellatrix's torture of her, trying not to go into too specific detail as she was unable to bear the pained and devastated looks on all of their faces, especially those of Kalissa and Harry.

When she told them of how Bellatrix took her to her father's gravestone with the dagger in hand, Natalie had to stop to let everyone calm themselves. Ron looked absolutely outraged while Hermione held her head in her hands. Minerva looked sadly through the window behind Natalie's head. Kalissa continued to watch Natalie intently though with a reassuring warmth that kept Natalie from losing control of her emotions. And Harry gazed at her with a compassion that energized Natalie and kept her motivated to tell her story despite the fatigue and sadness overcoming her.

Relaying her encounter with Bellatrix was much more tiring than she expected. She knew she would relive the experience, but now in retrospect, all of the danger and suffering she endured seemed so much more real and then horrifying than the actual experience. Bellatrix would have killed her if Kalissa and Harry had not come so soon.

Once she finished, Natalie exhaled in relief. Harry rubbed his thumb along her hand, a reassuring smile on his face.

"Thank you- I can't image how difficult it must have been for you," murmured Harry to her.

Natalie smiled at him. "Yes it was," she replied in an equally as soft murmur. And in a much louder voice, she said, "I hope that's enough information for all of you."

"Thank you Natalie," said Minerva, rubbing her eyes and leaning back on the bed.

"We will get her," stated Ron rather valiantly. "What type of woman hurts her daughter like that? The Cruciatus curse!"

Natalie chuckled. "She's not really human but I think all of you know that as well."

"I don't know how Ron plans to catch her," said Hermione with a wry smile. "But I daresay you did not give her any satisfaction. That was very brave of you."

"I hope I did not," said Natalie with an embarrassed shrug.

"You made us all proud," said Kalissa, running a hand through Natalie's hair. "And scared us all terribly at the same time but not many people could endure and keep fighting through such pain and fear.

Natalie shivered, remembering the way the pain exploded within her. "Yes, well trust me, it's not something that I want to go through again. So then shall we continue with what happened between Harry and Voldemort?"

Kalissa laughed. "That was a rather abrupt change of topic. But yes, I think while we have some time, we should talk about those two exchanges. I have to say I have never seen something as powerful as the phoenix."

Harry blushed. "I honestly can only remember casting "Expelliarmus" the first time and "Stupefy" the second time. And with that "Stupefy", the golden thread between us formed and then of course, the phoenix."

"Well that explains the blaze of red I saw both times," said Natalie, nodding. She turned to the others. "I suppose you all know what happened between Harry and Voldemort when they dueled."

Despite Minerva and Ron's inevitable cringes, all of them nodded.

"It's really fascinating," said Hermione, her voice gathering an excited tone like this was some very difficult problem she was waiting to tackle. "I mean Kalissa has found out so much about the Arithmancy behind the connection between Harry and Voldemort but what happened here is quite strange."

"I do not think it is the Priori Incantatem which occurred in your fourth year," said Minerva, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"It was definitely different than the Priori Incantatem," acknowledged Harry. "Though I don't know why that did not occur; I was half expecting images of his victims to come out of the golden thread connecting us."

"Well, if Tom was using the exact same wand as he used in the graveyard in your fourth year, then the Priori Incantatem should have occurred," explained Kalissa, clasping her fingers. "However, when I battled him, I sensed that his magic was slightly different than in previous instances we have dueled; of course this may be because of how long it has been since I fought him but I do believe it was different. He has either changed his wand or has modified his wand in a way that makes it just slightly different than the previous wand so the same effect would not occur when he met you again."

"Modify his wand?" asked Natalie, raising her eyebrows.

Kalissa nodded. "It is possible to alter the intrinsic properties of your wand, which in this case would have entailed the removal or replacement of the phoenix feather that came from Fawkes. My guess is that he replaced the phoenix feather with a feather from another phoenix other than Fawkes which would have severed the brotherly connection between the two wands. However to perform such an alteration, he would have needed to enlist the aid of a wandmaker-

"And Ollivander disappeared last summer," interjected Hermione. "Which explains why-

"He is able to alter his wand," finished Ron.

Kalissa nodded at them. "Indeed. Or it may simply that he is using someone else's wand. But I believe Priori Incantatem is something which will not occur again."

"So the first duel between you two was a red explosion?" commented Ron, looking at Harry who confirmed with a nod. "And the second one was with the phoenix."

"Yes," said Harry, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Though they were obviously different, they seemed quite familiar, almost like the second one was building on whatever happened the first time."

"How so Harry?" asked Kalissa, her intent gaze now fixated upon the raven haired boy.

"To me, it seemed like the sensations for the two spells were the same sensation, just much stronger and longer for the second spell," said Harry slowly, evidently trying to pick his words. "You know how normally when you say the incantation and cast the spell, you feel the spell's energy leave your body, enter the wand and then leave the wand?"

Everyone else nodded or said "yes", all of their gazes resting squarely on Harry.

"Well, both of these spells felt completely different," continued Harry, pausing to gather his words. "When I cast "Expelliarmus" in the graveyard, I felt the energy go from by body to my wand but the energy never seemed to 'separate' from body. It was almost as if it was connected to the wand and then to the spell; I thought I had made a mess of the spell but obviously not when the red light shot out. And even more strangely, when my spell reached his Killing curse, whatever was holding me to my spell really tightened and tugged and pulled me in for the briefest second before the explosion occurred and then after the explosion I felt normal again. "

Natalie exchanged a quizzical glance with Hermione; from Arithmancy, they knew magical energy could not be connected between a wand and a person or even a spell or a person.

Kalissa narrowed her eyes. "When you say normal, you mean-

"That I did not feel like I was tied to my spell, like my energy could only be used for that means alone and nothing else," finished Harry, closing his eyes.

Natalie looked at Hermione again. The way Harry depicted the sensation indicated that some underlying entity was holding him into the spell and manipulating his energy. Could it be the connection between Harry and Voldemort that they had discussed in so much detail before?

"Ah, well that is indeed a very unique sensation," commented Kalissa, her mind clearly running at a rapid pace. "So then to cliary, you felt this connection first between your body and your wand as you cast the spell and then when the red light came out of your wand, the connection was between you and the actual spell. And finally when your two spells met, this link became much stronger, as if it were funneling your magic into both of the spells."

"Yes," said Harry, looking very relieved at Kalissa's phrasing. "That's much better than I described but like you said, whatever was pulling me in changed as I cast the spell."

Kalissa smiled at him. "I am certain you have several theories as to what caused you to be bound to that spell."

Harry nodded, an eager expression appearing on his face. "I think it has something to do with the link between him and I. How else do you explain such a thing; it literally felt like someone was using my magic? But why would that link just appear when our spells collided?"

"And then if that is true," noted Minerva with a frown. "Then why would the second time be so different?"

Kalissa smiled. "I have a similar idea as the two of you and similar questions as well. It is very puzzling though."

"Would you care to elaborate?" pressed Natalie.

"I will," enunciated Kalissa, winking at her. "But first, I think we need to hear about Harry's account of the second exchange."

Harry nodded. "When I cast 'Stupefy', it was pretty much the same feeling; I felt my energy connected to the wand and then bound to the spell and when our spells met again, the pull and hold on me was extremely strong. Except this time, obviously, the spells did not break off into an explosion. Rather, it just kept gaining strength, tightening and pulling me in with the golden thread forming between us; I felt like my energy could not break off from the spell. And also, it was different than the first time in that I could feel myself not only connected to the spell I cast but also to something else. " Harry shuddered. "I think it may have been his spell, the golden thread or quite possibly the phoenix forming but it was definitely something extremely powerful, more so than even Voldemort. And as the phoenix started to develop out of that thread, it was a very strange sensation for me. My energy started to leave me but then it came back and just cycled through me while the phoenix grew. I really did not know what to do- I don't know Ron and Hermione if you guys remember but in fourth year, I needed to hold onto the wand to maintain whatever was between us. Here I felt like I had no choice, that the phoenix would form and that my energy would cycle through me regardless of what I did. So when the phoenix took its full shape, the connection was probably at its strongest. And then once it wrapped its wings around us, I could almost feel that creature or thing that bound me and I think Voldemort could feel it too as that's when he started to scream. I was convinced it was going to take both of us away or channel all of our energy into itself. But then suddenly, my link to my spell and to that thing just completely broke off and I was pretty much able to leave from underneath its wings to see you two. After that point, my energy seemed to feel completely free."

Harry drew a deep breath after the long description. He accepted the glass of pumpkin juice Natalie offered him, taking in a large gulp.

"Thank you Harry," said Kalissa, scratching her chin.

"That seemed even more amazing than what we saw," noted Natalie with a smile.

Kalissa folded her her hands on her lap and looked at all of them. "Thank you Harry- that was very helpful and I believe it confirmed or a the very least gave strength to many of my ideas. Now, I think I should explain my theories about those two exchanges. So let me begin by stating that these ideas are only based on what I saw last night, what I have thought over and researched in the past day and what Harry told us. They may change in the future but right now, I feel the theories summarizes and explains the situation to the best of my abilities and to the best of what we know."

After waiting for them to mull over her statement, Kalissa continued, "I agree with Harry in his hypothesis that his connection with Tom was responsible for both of the exchanges. The phoenix I believe is a physical manifestation of the connection between Tom and Harry. And the entity bounding Harry and Tom's energy is the the connection itself. The tug and pull Harry felt was the connection linking him and Tom to its magic and energy. Now those two facts I am pretty certain are true as the equations that govern the connection allow for it to be conveyed through human sensations and also for a tangible representation to occur under the_ right circumstances._ "

Natalie raised her eyebrows at the emphasis on the last two words. "What do you mean the 'right circumstances'?"

"And why would the phoenix appear in one exchange and not the other?" added Hermione, frowning.

Kalissa smiled. "I believe the two questions are intertwined. The reason for the phoenix appearing in the latter exchange lies in the differences between the two situations and specifically what was different when Tom cast his Killing curse." Kalissa looked at Natalie with the same fierce persistence she hugged her earlier.

Natalie's mouth opened in realization.

Kalissa nodded her head. "Tom's second Kiling curse was directed towards me but Natalie at the moment chose to dive in front of me; had Harry not stopped the curse with his spell, Natalie would have been dead."

Hermione and Ron's faces paled. Minerva sniffed loudly, her eyes glistening. Harry looked absolutely sick as if another horrible, crushing realization had struck him.

"None of them knew," said Kalissa to Natalie. "But you see the difference and why it is significant."

"It was like a sacrifice I suppose," said Natalie thoughtfully. "But I never sacrificed myself so there should be no effect."

"But the intention was there," stated Hermione excitedly. "And if you were able to stop time at the moment at which Natalie dove in front of Kalissa and before Harry 's spell blocked Voldemort's curse, it would appear as if Natalie sacrificed herself. And that's the circumstance that would have been used for Harry and Voldemort's exchange."

"Precisely," enunciated Kalissa. "The significance of such a sacrifice cannot be stated; while not the same as Harry's situation with his mother, it was still very similar to the very situation that initiated the connection. And so such symmetry allows the equations of the sacrifice and the equations governing the connection to interact with one another, keeping the connection within reality for a long enough period of time for it to strengthen, gain energy and form the phoenix."

"The way the phoenix is formed is rather unique," continued Kalissa with a smile. "Harry I do not think you were ever exhausted at any point in which the phoenix was developing?

"No I was not," said Harry with surprise. "I should have been though since it was using my energy?"

Kalissa shook her head. "It's not using your energy as how to say it, a source of fuel, but rather as a conducting medium."

Harry looked at her in confusion. "Sorry, I'm not following you."

"What's a medium?" asked Ron, a blank look on his face.

Natalie frowned. "When you say it, what are you exactly referring to?"

A bewildered look passed over Kalissa's face before she mouthed "oh" in realization. "Oh, I am very sorry- I was not clear when I was describing the use of the energy. The "it" I am referring to is not the phoenix but the connection between Harry and Tom; its energy I believe was used to drive the formation of the phoenix. However to clarify for Ron and Harry Harry, this energy cannot exist in our world because the equations underlying the connection do not have the same parameters and limits as the ones governing our natural and magical world. I do not believe I told any of you that I believe the magic forming the connection between Harry and Tom to come from another magical system, one you may call an alternate universe?"

"No you have not," said Minerva, a frown appearing on her face. "Was this the 'project' occupying your attention since the last time we met?"

Natalie looked at Kalissa in bewilderment. "Another project?"

Kalissa shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment. "I wanted to have a good idea of what exactly is forming this link between Harry and Tom."

"Is this alternate universe the same one responsible for the magic of the Killing Curse?" asked Harry, his face paling.

Kalissa gave a satisfied nod. "I believe it is the most likely option, since it was the modification of the Killing curse that allowed for the connection to occur."

"Bloody scary that there are 'alternate universes,' " muttered Ron.

Kalissa raised her hand before Minerva could chastise Ron. "It is a bit unnerving but I think reassuring that there is no human presence controlling this magic, just a world of magic I believe. "

Ron still looked rather dazed and unsettled at the notion though he smiled crookedly at Kalissa.

Minerva narrowed her eyes. "Kalissa, from my understanding of your explanation, then normally the connection between Harry and You know who should not exist in this world."

"You are absolutely correct," said Kalissa with a flourish.

Natalie and Hermione exchanged bewildered glances. Harry stared disbelieving in Kalissa while Ron just opened and close his mouth several times. She was relieved that she was not the only one whose mind was spinning in circles with Kalissa's words.

"I'm still not following you," exclaimed Harry in frustration. "Then how does the phoenix form if that magic cannot exist in our world? And what about my scar and the way we can see into each other' minds- are not those 'manifestations' of the connection?"

"Ah, those are excellent questions," said Kalissa excitedly. "Remember, Harry, that this magic and its energy cannot operate in our world because the equations describing such magic do not match or align under the same boundaries that ones underlying our magic use. But and there is a significant exception, magic from the alternate universe can exist in this world when the parameters and boundaries of the equations in our world change to just allow those equations to operate; these changes can occur in certain moments of time with the appropriate circumstance and context."

"Such as whenever the Kiling curse is used," noted Natalie, starting to realize what Kalissa meant.

"Yes," said Kalissa, winking at her. "In that case, it is the hatred of the caster which is able to change the parameters of our equations, allowing for the magic of the alternate universe to exist and result in devastating consequences in this world."

Hermione snapped her fingers in understanding. "And the the moment in which Natalie dove in front of you and Harry cast his spell at Voldemort also altered the parameters?"

"Yes. But in that instance, as I noted and did not explain very well, the equations describing those circumstances were similar to the ones that gave rise to the connection; namely Lily's sacrifice and Natalie's 'transient' sacrifice. This symmetry allowed for the equations from the alternate universe to interact and change the parameters and limits of the equations governing magic for Tom and Harry at that moment in time at that specific location in the forest. Hence, Harry and Tom's physical and magical energies were able to be used as a medium for the magical energy of their connection to drive the formation of the phoenix. Your energy cycled through you Harry, not because it was a reservoir but rather to provide a pathway for the connection's magic as the limits of your magic had been changed at that moment."

"Would our magic had been changed too since we were part of that situation?" posed Natalie, looking at Kalissa. She was starting to grasp Kalissa's explanation but a few gaps still existed in her understanding.

Kalissa sighed. "I do not know; we know at the very least that Harry and Tom's magic and energies must have changed because of the phoenix's presence, but it may or may not have been the same for us. It is impossible to prove or disprove."

"Alright," said Harry slowly. "I still have some questions but I want to make sure I understand what you are saying. So the link between Voldemort and I can only appear in this world if in certain situations, the equations or whatever is describing the magic is similar to the equations for the connection. But the problem I'm having is that I can think of many other instances in which he and I have felt linked."

"I think Harry is about to ask this but what about his ability to see Voldemort's thoughts and feel his emotions and the other way?" asked Hermione.

"Yes I was Hermione," said Harry dryly.

Kallissa's brow furrowed, "That caused me a great deal of trouble and I am still not sure how I understand fully how such a thing can occur. It clearly is associated with Harry's scar as I believe every time your minds and bodies link in such a way Harry, your scar hurts?"

"Yes, every time," agreed Harry, flinching.

"Then I think and I have to say I am pretty certain of this theory that instead of merely a temporary moment in time which modified the parameters and boundaries of the magic in our world, the circumstances and context around your mother's sacrifice not only contributed to the creation of this connection between you and Tom, with its magic and energy rooted in an alternate system, but also led to the formation of a medium or 'pathway' linking you and Tom which has parameters and limits similar to the alternate universe. Hence the magic of the connection can exist in this medium. And I think this medium is-

"My scar," concluded Harry, looking rather unnerved.

Kalissa smiled at him. "Yes, the existence of the medium effectively allows the magic of the connection between the two of you to exist in our world permanently. And I am convinced the blood that the two of you share from the graveyard has also contributed to this medium as it is Lily's blood and contains her sacrifice."

"So I have magic from some other universe always existing in me," muttered Harry, becoming increasingly more distressed. "And Voldemort and I are always connected because of it."

"Harry, the magic does not change you," said Natalie, picking up on his fear. "And it exists in the medium between you and Voldemort and not within the two of you."

Kalissa laid her hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's a burden you should not have to bear and to be connected to someone like Tom is horrible. But such are the circumstances of your mother's sacrifice."

Natalie's mind flashed to Snape. A pang of uneasiness twitched at her insides, causing her to swallow nervously and direct her gaze away from Harry.

Harry exhaled, closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them. "The link has been useful in certain situations and I know I will have to just endure it."

Kalissa eyed him wearily. "I am very sorry Harry. But please remember, as Natalie was astute enough to notice, that this link is not a part of you nor is it a part of Voldemort. It allows you to be very close to him but at the same time it is separate from both of you."

The distress clouding Harry's face cleared as he drew another deep breath. "I understand though I still don't like the fact that we're always connnected."

He smiled sincerely at Kalissa "Thank you for doing all this work to find about the link. It's very complicated and I still probably do not understand the connection as well as I should but it helps, knowing so much."

An exhilirating warmth washed over Natalie at Harry's words and the pure authenticity of his gratitude.

"We all really appreciate it Kalissa," said Hermione earnestly.

"Brilliant," said Ron. "Though I reckon I'm in the same group as Harry."

"I have to say I am not surprised at how obsessive you have become with this connection," quipped Minerva, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

Kalissa's cheeks reddened uncharacteristically. "Well, I find it very, very interesting. You never see anything quite like this connection."

"Er," said Natalie nervously. Another point was needling her, but she was reluctant to ask the question for she did not want to see Kalissa's reaction.

"Yes Natalie?" said Kalissa curiously.

"Um," said Natalie, still struggling for words but then just deciding to phrase the question. "Do you remember what Professor Dumbledore said about er the circumstantial magic forming the connection- he said it was unlikely because Harry could feel the depth of Voldemort's emotion?"

"Ah," replied Kalissa, her voice becoming quieter. "I do remember." She looked out of the window, an unreadable expression on her face. She clasped her hands, her eyebrows knitted in concentration and her lips unusually pursed. Natalie knew how Dumbledore's reluctance to talk about the connection and then his disagreement without much of an explanation disappointed and hurt her.

Natalie's stomach churned anxiously as she waited for Kalissa to break the awkward silence that was starting to unravel and stretch itself across them. Ron and Hermione were looking at each other in surprise while Harry looked thoughtfully at Kalissa, almost as if he identified with her feelings. Minerva glanced uneasily at her friend and then at Natalie, as if she was wondering whether they should try to approach her.

And then just when Natalie decided to speak, Kalissa returned her gaze to her and resumed talking as if the silence had not occurred.

"If you recall correctly, Albus suggested that Tom's work with the Horcruxes corrupted and darkened his magic to the point that it was possible for his own magic to be the reason for the connection between him and Harry. I would have desired a more thorough explanation but following our meeting, I also looked into ways that Tom's magic could acquire the power and energy to forge such a connection and alter the Killing curse. Taking into account the Horcruxes, an estimation of all of the murders he has committed which I ensured was larger than it likely is and an appraisal of how much he has contorted and distorted his own personality and body through experimentation, the energy associated with his magic would still be woefully short of altering the Killing curse."

"Really?" said Natalie, her eyebrows.

Kalissa looked at her solemnly. "I never joke about Arithmancy Natalie. And as I have said before, the energy required to alter the Killing Curse is immense. Circumstantial magic still offers the only way in my estimation of modifying this curse."

"That makes sense," Hermione agreed. "I mean the curse can just kill a person with two words- something like that must have quite a bit of power driving it."

"Oh ok, I never really believed in his explanation," said Harry though Natalie noticed he chose not to say the next logical implication that his statement carried. "But what about the way I can sense how strong Voldemort's feelings were?"

Kalissa rubbed her forehead with her hand. "That is indeed very unusual. Albus was correct in that Arithmancy cannot usually describe the depth of human emotions and so it would appear contradictory that the connection, found upon the equations describing the circumstances surrounding your mother's death, would be able to communicate strength of emotion. Yet this type of connection between two people has never been seen before and so there is not a precedent for us to know whether emotional depth can be communicated. I have a hunch that because your mother's sacrifice was a modifying factor of the same Killing curse that gave rise to this connection, then that sacrifice, which relies on the authenticity and pure depth of one's love for another, gave the connection the ability to communicate the nature of feelings and not just the feelings itself."

Harry considered her explanation for a few seconds before slowly nodding. "I see what you are saying. I don't agree with Dumbledore- it just doesn't seem like Voldemort is solely responsible for the link. If he was, I think he would have been much better at controlling it."

"You were pretty much able for a couple of years to have easy access into his mind," noted Hermione. "I don't think he would allow something like that to occur if he was the reason for the connection. Kallissa's explanation makes sense."

"There's no evidence backing my hunch behind Lily's sacrifice," Kalissa warned. "For all intents and purposes, I may be completely wrong about why Harry can feel the strength of Tom's emotions. There's much more that we need to learn."

"Of course but your hunches usually turn out correct," said Minerva with a smile.

"As do those of Albus," said Kalissa though her lips twitched.

"Er," said Harry again, an intent gaze coming upon his face. His eyes had become much brighter. "There's something else that has been bothering me."

Kalissa looked at him in surprise. "Of course Harry, there's no need to be shy with me."

Harry nodded, giving her a small smile. "It's hard to believe this actually occurred," said Harry, shaking his head. His eyes started to become more lucid. "When I was under the wings of the phoenix, I could feel what was holding us- the connection as you have said, Kalissa. It was very powerful and imposing but at the same time, in those few seconds I could feel its presence, I felt oddly comfortable like it was very familiar to me-

"You said like you felt like you were at home," commented Natalie apprehensively, remembering those words very clearly. She had an inkling as to where Harry was heading.

Harry nodded at her, a distant expression on his face. "You know what I am going to say, don't you Natalie?" He caught Natalie's eye, sharing a relieved but scared look with her. She could almost feel the fear radiating off Harry; she wanted desperately to pull him into an embrace. Harry smiled at her shakily before continuing. "I really do not want to sound like a madman but there's something I cannot help thinking. The phoenix had green eyes and when it spoke, the voice was definitely female," stated Harry, looking toward Kalissa. Minerva and Hermione's eyes widened while Ron's mouth opened slightly in awe. Harry's words led to a single, reverberating conclusion. A very unnerving yet inspiring possibility that hovered over all of them, ready to unsheathe itself.

"You think the phoenix was your mother," stated Kalissa matter of factly. "Or the magic of the connection holding the two of you together and manipulating your energy was your mother." Her words unsheathed the possibility for them, exposing the sheer power of its potential. Hermione released a small gasp. Ron and Minerva shifted in their seats. Natalie's throat constricted.

"Yes," said Harry in a very hoarse voice.

Natalie placed Harry's hand over her own hand. She did not know what to say to him. The shock that there was actually a grain of truth to what he suggested was so thunderous and sweeping that it seemed to thrust them all into a daze. But a familiar conviction pushed itself through the shock. Harry needed her.

"You're not a madman Harry," stated Kalissa quietly with a wry smile.

"I think it would be better," Kalissa continued. "for me to explain what I think happened with the phoenix and then when I am finished you can ask me any questions."

Harry nodded, his expression unreadable. "That would be fine. Thank you." Natalie was alarmed by the lack of emotion to his voice; she feared he was dangerously bottling all of his feelings.

She caught Harry's eye and tried to give him her warmest, most encouraging smile. She could not fathom how terrifying and yet enthralling this moment must be for him.

Kalissa cleared her throat. "You see the unusual aspect of the phoenix was that it spoke and seemed to act of its own accord, suggesting the presence of a conscience within the connection between Harry and Tom. This fact has shocked me; I never expected the phoenix to speak or to specifically act against Tom while protecting Harry. I was under the impression that the link between Harry and Tom was purely magic from this alternate system but evidently some sort of conscience with thought, emotion and the capability to act exists."

"How though?" asked Natalie, anxiously wringing her hands.

Kalissa took a deep breath before shrugging her shoulders. "I do not know how this conscience formed nor what it is…..I have another guess as to what it is and how it came to be a part of the connection but it is purely conjecture."

"What is this guess?" said Harry, his eyes sparkling with intensity.

Kalissa met her gaze, her brown eyes equally as intense and bright. "Harry, again, I hate to sound repetitive and tedious but you have to remember this is purely speculation. I believe that the magic imbibing the connection between you and Tom contains a part of your mother's magical energy and perhaps even a part of her conscience. And this part of her along with the circumstantial magic around her death is forming the conscience we saw manifested in the phoenix."

A collective gasp spread across all of them. An unnerving sharpness and clarity permeated all of them. As if a truth intrinsic to their own knowledge of life had become unearthed and shattered into a thousand pieces before their eyes. Except Natalie thought, closing her eyes, no 'as if' existed. Something changed and she could sense it in that moment. The sheer frightening yet wonderful and exhilarating nature of Kalissa's words suddenly struck her with full force. Could it possibly be that Harry's mother was helping them, acting against Voldemort too?

Kalissa appraised them all, an uneasy expression on her face. "Please do not get carried away with what I have said; remember this is only my speculation. It can be an immense piece of knowledge to handle, especially for you Harry."

Harry nodded, his hands clasping and unclasping. He stood up from the bed and stepped towards Kalissa. For Harry, the possibility that he may have met his mother in that duel was overwhelming. The shock and thrill would have been very grand but most importantly the hope would be tantalizing. Something he undoubtedly wished to occur for seventeen years was now so tangible, just there for him to see.

Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, his eyes alight and bursting with emotion, a scared, tentative expression on his face ass he looked into Kalissa's eyes. Natalie trembled. He looked so vulnerable, the hope blanketing him, ready to satisfy or crush him. Since the phoenix appeared last night, that possibility must have dominated his mind.

Kalissa gripped Harry's hands, holding them in her own. The warmth and sadness in her eyes and face was so clear.

Harry touched his scar with his hand. "You said a part of her conscience may be in the connection between Voldemort and I. It may lie within this scar."

Natalie stared numbly at the lightening bolt. Harry's mother may be in it. Here in this room with all of them. Natalie swallowed. This was something she could not comprehend.

Kalissa for the first time that entire evening looked anxious. "I do not know Harry."

"Is it possible?" said Harry quietly. His voice became even softer, quieting into a whisper. "For the d-dead to come back like that?"

Kalissa squeezed his hands. "Although the magic we saw last night is extremely unique and powerful, it remains impossible for the dead to come back to our world in the form they left us. And that is a truth which no one can dispute and has never been disproven. And I think you can agree with me that whatever you felt in those few seconds with Voldemort was not your mother in the form you knew as a baby."

"Yes, it was not human," whispered Harry with a distant expression that made Natalie's insides churn in dread at the hope he was holding. "Is she trapped in his connection?"

Kalissa breathed heavily, beads of sweat starting to appear on her forehead. "Her entire soul is not in this connection so I do not believe so. But you must know Harry that Lily is dead no matter what we do; her soul left this world the second Tom's curse struck her. I know what you are thinking. You cannot communicate with her even if a part of her lies in this connection between you and Tom. Then she may be with you but not in the same form you or we all knew her; she is still separate from all of us, just in a different way."

Harry held her gaze, an expression of pure torment on his face before he nodded. "I understand- she is still dead even if a part of her is in my scar."

Kalissa pressed her hands on his cheeks. "Harry, you have to be aware of this important notion; we cannot bring the dead back to life. They may come to us at times but it is wrong , unnatural and most importantly, impossible for us to seek them. The laws and systems that govern this world were never intended to harness those who have passed on. Do you understand?"

Harry looked into her eyes for a few moments before he spoke. "Yes."

Kalissa appraised him for a few seconds before continuing. "And Harry, I hate to sound repetitive but these are only my guesses and that is all. You need to understand that the phoenix may have not been your mother or had nothing to do with her at all. Or it may have been a representation of her, as you saw in your fourth year with the Priori Incantatem. I cannot pretend to know how frightening the hope must be for you, but please do not let it consume you. You need to keep an open mind; you cannot submerge yourself in an expectation that can never be fulfilled. "

Harry stared at her again for an extended moment before taking a deep breath. "Yes, I've been struggling with it since last night but I understand what you're talking about."

Kalissa smiled at him. "We are all here for you Harry. I understand this is not something that you can accept in an hour long conversation." She released his hands and Harry sat next to her.

Natalie lifted herself off the bed and pulled Harry into the tightest embrace she could muster. She felt Harry smile into her hair, whispering "Thanks."

"Harry, I am rather shocked at what we have discovered," said Minerva, warmth lacing her voice. "However, Kalissa is absolutely correct in what she has said. We will do our very best to help you."

"Harry, whatever we can do to help, just tell us," said Hermione very forcefully from behind them. She stood and hugged Harry after Natalie released him.

"Mate, we'll get through this," said Ron, his voice uncharacteristically soft before it returned to its louder tone. "But blimey eh, that's bloody amazing, isn't it?"

**A/N: So the passage (or paragraph) directly from HBP was the message in the locket.**

**How did you like this chapter? Very long (and I am sorry) but some important details are revealed (the part about Lily, I have to explain a bit more).**

**And how did you like Natalie's dream at the beginning?**


	39. Honesty Helps

Chapter 39-Honesty Helps

**A/N: Thanks very much for all of the reviews for the last chapter! It really means a lot to me that you take the time to comment and give your feedback.**

**This is another long chapter (I'm sorry) but there's several important interactions in terms of the relationships between characters. I imagine many of you can predict the conversations that will occur from the title and what happened last chapter.**

**There will probably be another chapter coming tomorrow (it is much, much shorter). I am leaving on vacation next Friday; while I do plan to write a chapter this week, I might not finish and so there will be another delay in the story (about 3-4 weeks).**

**Thanks again for all of your support and patience! There's only a few chapters to go before we reach the end of sixth year.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Natalie knocked twice on the oak door in front of her. She fiddled with the sleeves of her collared shirt as the door opened. And just before she could see the figure behind the door, she was pulled into a very tight but always pleasing embrace. The sweet, refreshing cinnamon scent of Kalissa filled her nostrils.

Kalissa released her from the suffocating hug, a beaming smile on her face. "The extra night at the Infirmary certainly helped you."

Natalie returned the smile though the uneasiness wringing her stomach would not leave her. "Madam Pomfrey truly does wonders."

Kalissa was right though. Following their two hour conversation yesterday evening, the long sleep she was able to enjoy in the Infirmary as well as the potions she took for the bruises and aches she suffered from Bellatrix very much accelerated her recovery. She no longer walked with a limp and the complete exhaustion and weariness she felt two days ago had dissipated.

"Lunch was delicious I imagine?" said Kalissa as Natalie walked over to her desk and took a seat on the settee adjacent to it. Since the invasion, Kalissa had taken residence in the castle in the same chambers Natalie used in the summer. With all the chaos and panic ensuing after Dumbledore's death, Kalissa and Minerva both decided that hiding from Voldemort no longer was an option.

"It always is," Natalie replied, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

Kalissa narrowed her eyes at her. "I confess I have not been around you very long this year but you certainly do not seem yourself my dear."

Natalie wrung her hands. "It's been an eventful few days."

Kalissa laughed. Natalie could not help but feel reassured by that soft, melodious sound. "I have to agree."

Natalie looked toward the assortment of papers and books on Kalissa's desk. "It looks like you have been very busy."

Kalissa frowned at her. "Yes I have Natalie. With Albus' death, there is an endless list of things to do. What with the funeral, the constant stream of letters from the Ministry, Order matters…."

"I see," said Natalie, a wave of sympathy rolling over her. "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

Kalissa smiled at her. "Minerva and I have our hands full but we have enough help as it is. The best help you can give me is make sure you don't find yourself in the middle of another group of Death Eaters- that seems to be a favourite pastime this year."

"Only two times," Natalie protested.

"Only two," repeated Kalissa in disbelief as she took a seat on the settee besides Natalie. "Now, enough of this nonsensical chat, you know why I wanted you to meet me?"

Natalie bowed her head from Kalissa's penetrating gaze.

"Natalie, look at me," said Kalissa sternly. "There is no need to avoid my eyes."

Natalie lifted her head to meet Kalissa's stare. "Of course I do."

Kalissa slid closer to Natalie, laying her hands firmly on the girl's shoulders. "I know you disagree with me but please, will you listen to me and try to appreciate my perspective?"

Natalie closed her eyes, knowing she would not budge from her stance but she opened her eyes and nodded.

"Thank you," said Kalissa, her brown eyes bright with emotion. "Diving in front of me to take Tom's Killing Curse was one of the most admirable and bravest actions I have seen. I have never been more in awe of a person and been so grateful for another individual's presence." Kalissa paused to take a deep breath. "But I consider you as my daughter and I love you more than you or anybody could possibly imagine. If Harry had not blocked the curse, I would have lost you. And that is a possibility which terrified me throughout that night and continues to frighten me now."

Kalissa's eyes glistened, the tears threatening to form. Natalie's own vision was starting to become very cloudy, her eyes welling.

"And you are my mother," Natalie stated matter of factly. And the tears started to flow from Kalissa's eyes. She held Kalissa's hands in her own. "How do you think I would have felt if you died? I would have been just as lost, devastated and crushed."

Kalissa squeezed her hands. "Thank you Natalie." Her voice sounded rather choked, quivering. "I know but it can't stop me from never wanting you to step in front of me like that again."

Natalie shook her head forcefully. "Would you let a Killing curse strike me?"

Kalissa caught Natalie's eyes. The warmth, concern and love in those eyes permeated Natalie's entire conscience, infusing her with a reassuring certainty. Kalissa understood her; she may have not liked what she had to say but she understood.

"No I would not have," said Kaliss quietly, breaking the long silence.

"Thank you," said Natalie, her voice also trembling. "I love you just as much and I can't stand there and watch you…"

Kalissa brought Natalie into an embrace, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "I know Natalie but I don't know how I will go on without you."

"Neither do I," Natalie whispered, shaking under Kalissa's grasp. Tears flooded her face.

Kallissa pulled Natalie against her again, stroking her back reassuringly. "With the war we are fighting, such situations may be inevitable. And I don't know Natalie how I will react again…..it is my worst possible nightmare, but-

"We will have to face it," Natalie finished, pressing the side of her head against Kalissa's chest. "It will destroy us but we have to accept, don't we? What choice do we have?"

She felt Kalissa smile against her. "You are right; what choice do we really have? You have grown so much my dear."

"Bellatrix does that to you," said Natalie sardonically.

"I've never been prouder in my life of you," Kalissa said, wrapping her arms tightly around Natalie.

They held that embrace for a few moments. Natalie cherished the comfort and assurance she felt in Kalissa's hold; the pure warmth and love was almost tangible, imploring and urging her to listen. This woman was truly her mother in every sense.

Kalissa released her from the hug, wiping at her eyes.

"About Bellatrix," Kalissa said, a steely glint in her eyes. "I realize and understand the connection she made with you when your minds linked. There must have been images and thoughts that you may have never seen before."

A current of unease passed through Natalie as her smile faltered. She did not feel ready to talk about what she saw in Bellatrix's mind, not even to Kalissa.

Kalissa watched her for a few moments before nodding. "I do not expect you to talk about what you saw or felt now- I imagine the experience is very fresh in your mind and you need some time. If you ever want to talk Natalie, please remember I am here."

A wave of gratitude rolled over Natalie at Kalissa's understanding. She seemed to always have the uncanny ability to recognize Natalie's emotions and respond to them appropriately.

"Thank you," Natalie said, her voice cracking. "I will want to talk about it eventually, not just now."

Kalissa smiled. "I am here whenever you want to talk."

Natalie nodded, catching Kalissa's eyes again. She did her best to convey her appreciation.

"Is there anything else you want to discuss?" Kalissa asked, clasping her hands. Natalie knew it was not a question; Kalissa sensed something else bothering Natalie.

And she was absolutely correct.

Natalie sighed, preparing herself to divulge the main reason she was so nervous and edgy for most of the day.

"Yes there is," Natalie answered, leaning against the settee. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

Kalissa slid closer to her, casting her arm around her. "Natalie, I would like for you to tell me but if you feel uncomfortable-

"No," Natalie said quietly. "It's just a very big decision and something I'm not looking forward to but you should and deserve to know; I've decided to tell Harry about Snape."

Natalie's words chilled the emotion within the room, seeming to pierce through all of the layers of sentiment and comfort the previous moments created. Kalissa stiffened, her expression returning to the tense and weary state it was cast in when Natalie entered the room. As if Natalie presented another obstacle, another challenge for her to examine and evaluate under the cloak of their mission against Voldemort.

Kalissa rested her chin on her hand, staring at the carpet intently.

Natalie knew not to disturb her when she immersed herself in deep thought. Although she tried not to let herself believe that Kalissa would harshly object, the fear was not far from her mind.

All she could was fold her hands and wait for Kalissa. She wanted Kallisa's approval, more as a means to augment her own confidence in her decision; she knew however that if Kalissa disagreed, the conviction within Natalie to tell Harry would still remain very strong

And when the black haired woman turned to face Natalie with the same intent, unreadable expression, Natalie's breath hitched.

"Can you explain your reasoning behind this decision?" Kalissa asked slowly, her eyes studying Natalie.

Natalie let out a breath she knew she was holding. If there was an objection, it was not immediate.

"I feel like he deserves to know," said Natalie, her voice gaining strength as she spoke. When Kalissa raised an eyebrow at her, Natalie's tone became firmer. "Not now because of what Snape has done but because I was wrong initially. I remember telling you that I would keep the secret because it was not my secret to tell. However, Lily was Harry's mother; if I had been in his position, I would have wanted to know everything about my mother-

"As you do with your father," Kalissa noted with a smile.

Natalie smiled at her. "As I do and no matter how unpleasant the information may be to me." She paused, the memories of her father and Bellatrix filling her mind for a second. "And he has the right to know all this information about her; there is no questioning that right as I am certain you never questioned my right to know about my father, but also to know who my mother was. It is not my position to decide if he deserves to know; I certainly do not have that power or authority and personally I do not think anyone does. And even though Snape made it clear that I should not tell him, Harry is my best friend and my boyfriend who I care about very much. My obligation to him overrides whatever obligation I had to Snape then and what I have now."

Kalissa nodded. "Thank you Natalie for being honest with me." She desceneded again into a contemplative silence. This time, her posture looked slightly more relaxed, her face not as rigid or stern.

Natalie breathed again, waiting for Kalissa's words. However, having explained her reasoning and although she chose not to disclose the dream, she felt relieved. And that feeling was enough to calm her significantly; she knew she would tell Harry.

After another few moments which did not feel as tense or awkward, Kalissa clasped her hands, her gaze falling upon Natalie again.

"I think your reasoning is very sound, insightful and mature as is your decision. I agree with you that he deserves to know and we were both wrong that night you decided not to tell him. It is not our place to play the role of information holder or secret keeper. It is his mother after all; he deserves to know about Lily more than anyone else, including Severus. " She smiled at the relieved expression unfolding upon Natalie's face. "However, telling Harry will have consequences Natalie."

Natalie closed her eyes, remembering Harry's anger and disappointment when she revealed her mother's identity. She opened them again, a grimace on her face. "I know. It will not be pleasant."

Kalissa gave a shaky laugh. "Hardly. I imagine it will not be too dissimiliar to when you told him about Bellatrix, except this time, it is extremely personal for him."

"That's exactly what I was thinking about but he will feel that he deserved to know all along….and I agree with him."

Kalissa brought Natalie closer to her in a half embrace. She stared into Natalie's brown eyes with such intensity that Natalie again felt like she was acutely aware of all of her fears and concerns in regard to Harry.

"He will indeed feel deceived and belive that you should have told him. And the ramifications will not be pleasant….but Natalie, he cares for you so much and that is something that cannot be understated."

Natalie hugged Kalissa, burying her head in those long locks again.

"Thank you," said Natalie softly.

As she pulled back, Natalie cleared her throat. "There is one other thing I'd like to ask for you." The uneasiness rose within her again; this specific request was what had made her so anxious during the evening.

"Yes?" said Kalissa, a curious frown on her face.

"I've thought about how I will tell Harry- a great deal in fact. And I've come to the conclusion that he won't believe me very easily. I mean I am essentially telling him that Snape, the former Head of Slytherin and now Dumbledore's murderer, was once his mother's best friend."

"He will want proof," stated Kalissa, a look of understanding spreading across her features.

"Yes- and I understand. If I were in his position, I would want to see something real and tangible to confirm such a statement."

"What are you thinking of? Is that photograph you saw still in his office?"

"I highly doubt it," Natalie answered, a shiver prickling her skin as her dream came to the forefront of her mind. "What I was thinking was more the experience when I saw the photograph and when he told me about their friendship. "

"A memory," Kalissa stated, a smile on her face.

Natalie nodded a bit too exuberantly. "Memories actually- two. You still have your Pensieve?"

"Yes, Minerva and I brought all of my materials from ah, the _old home_ here this morning," said Kalissa, her brow furrowed in contemplation. "It does seem like quite a bit of work but I agree- Harry won't believe you unless he sees something that absolutely proves Lily and Severus were best friends. And since the photograph is likely still in Severus' hands and I rather not have Harry go through Severus' office in a rightful fit, I will agree to extract the memories from you and place themm in the Pensieve for Harry and you to watch."

Natalie exhaled loudly, gripping Kalissa's hands. "Thank you so much Kalissa."

Kalissa wagged her eyebrows at her. "Did you honestly think I would refuse?"

Natalie's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I was asking for a lot when you already have so many things to consider."

"I think Harry knowing about his mother and Snape will not only be good for him but help us in the long term," said Kalissa, the thoughtful expression on her face returning. "The phrase 'ignorance is bliss' is truly a horrible lie."

"But Natalie," Kalissa continued, a concerned edge creeping into her voice. "He will not be pleased with you and this might be as angry and hurt as you'll ever see him. Time will heal all emotional matters as it always does but please do not let this bother you too much."

Natalie cringed. She had prepared herself extensively over the last day for Harry's outburst but she knew that everything would be alarmingly sharp, clear and horrifying for her when the actual conversation occurred.

"It will bother me," enunciated Natalie, echoing her thoughts. "But I will try not to let it bother me too much. Like you said, Harry and I have become very close and I refuse to let this break us apart."

"And I am certain it will not, " said Kalissa, though her smile was not as wide or liberated as previous ones. "Now when do you plan to tell him?"

"Today seems like an excellent opportunity if you can extract the memory now and plant it in the Pensieve, " said Natalie. She wanted to give Harry as much time as she could to mull over the revelation. She knew with a sinking lurch that his disappointment and anger might not abate till or after the end of the school year. But he deserved and needed to know and she did not want to keep him in the dark for any longer than she should.

Kalissa sighed. "You always did have a knack for getting right to the point but I cannot see any reason why not. Let me get my Pensieve and I will extract the memories now."

Natalie squeezed Kalissa's hands. "Thank you again."

Kalissa released Natalie's hands and waved her off with a nonchalant wave. "Honestly, the things we do for family." She gave a rather energetic laugh as she walked to her bedroom to collect the Pensieve.

She returned with a shallow and empty stone basin that bore intricately carved runes and symbols around its topmost edges, markings which Natalie could barely recognize.

Kalissa smiled at her curious expression. "I do not think you should be able to read those runes. " She placed the basin on the desk in her office, rolling her sleeves and drawing out her wand. "Now Natalie, I need your utmost concentration for this exercise. Please focus your mind on the memory you wish for me to take, almost as if you are presenting it on a platter for me. I need you to picture the entire memory with all of the sensations and emotions you can remember- it will help sharpen the quality of the memory for Harry. Take a few minutes to compose yourself before you are ready."

Natalie nodded. She folded her hands on her lap and closed her eyes. Pushing all of her anxiety and trepidation to the deeper corners of her mind, Natalie cringed as she brought forward the image of the photograph along with the memory of when she saw the picture in Snape's office. She allowed the memory to play itself within her mind, remembering the white hot anger on Snape's face and then the vicious way he threw her out of the room. When she was satisfied she could visualize the entire nature and sequence of that memory, Natalie opened her eyes, doing her best to keep all of her other emotions and thoughts blocked off.

"You are ready?" Kalissa asked, twirling her wand. "I want to check first that the memory has enough detail and sharpness. Will you let me enter your mind to see?"

Natalie startled slightly at Kalissa's request; in all their years knowing each other, Kalissa had never entered her mind. However, Natalie understood why Kalissa needed to know. It was very likely she was not presenting the memory properly.

"Yes, of course," said Natalie lamely.

"Relax Natalie," commented Kalissa, her gaze boring into Natalie. "I know you do not have the best experience with people entering your minds but I promise it will not hurt."

Natalie forgot that the only other person to gain access to her mind was Bellatrix. Her throat tightened and she barely squelched the wave of emotion accompanying that thought before Kalissa pointed her wand at her.

And within a few seconds, Natalie felt a warm but undoubtedly very powerful presence slip into her mind. It did not cut and burn through her thoughts and memories like Bellatrix but rather cautiously prodded its way to the memory dominating much of her mind. Natalie relaxed as Kalissa gently touched her memory, allowing it to unfold for her.

As Kalissa watched the memory, Natalie realized with a startle that she could not sense Kalissa's own emotions or thoughts as she could with Bellatrix. Not only was Kalissa's conscience more powerful and sweeping than her mother but also much more guarded and impenetrable; like a vast, beautiful and inviting castle whose secrets and very essence were well hidden. Not unlike Hogwarts, Natalie mused.

"I can see what you are thinking my dear," said Kalissa's voice, ringing in a sweet melody across my mind.

"Oh sorry," Natalie muttered, repressing the inevitable cringe. "It was a compliment anyway."

Kalissa laughed, again in that sweet, gentle melody that was so soothing. "Well thank you. Indeed, your memory was fascinating; I never have seen Severus so angry nor have I seen him so happy as he was in that picture. However, I fear that in the Pensieve, the memory will not appear very clearly. I have noticed that you are trying to wall off your emotion as strongly as you can; you've done very well at focusing on the memory but you need the emotions, sensations and thoughts you can recall from that memory. Do your best to maintain the full memory at the forefront of your mind but let the emotions and sensations you can remember wash over you, as if you are conscious of them but not experiencing them at the very moment. Do you understand?"

"I think so," said Natalie, somewhat grasping what Kalissa was saying.

"Give it a try," said Kalissa. "I will withdraw slightly but still be able to advise you."

Natalie again allowed for the memory to play itself in her mind. This time, she let her emotions during that encounter with Snape roll through her; first the surprise which transformed into pure shock at seeing the picture, the blanket of nostalgia and wistfulness that enveloped her when she saw the bliss of Snape and Lily's faces and then horror and fear at the fury on Snape's face.

"Very good Natalie," said Kalissa encouragingly, reverberating across her mind. "But now I need you to picture the memory and 'imagine' the emotions along with the memory; almost visualize it as if you're experiencing the memory with another person's emotions. You know the emotions and sensations exist and imbibe the memory with their own unique features but you are still separate from them."

"I will try my best," said Natalie, starting to comprehend what Kalissa meant the first time. She tried to imagine the memory as an object on a platter in front of her and then channeled her emotions, sensations and some thoughts from the memory into the object, richening and expanding the object. But Natalie herself remained detached from the object. She noted with a tinge of satisfaction that the feelings passed through not her but did not drag her mind along with them.

"Excellent," said Kalissa, her joy infusing Natalie's mind with a brilliant burst of energy. "I think I will return to my mind now. Thank you Natalie."

Natalie felt Kalissa's presence glide swiftly out of her mind and the part of her conscience Kalissa had softly pushed apart seamed back together.

And once Kalissa exited, Natalie returned to her present surroundings, staring into her guardian's eyes. The black haired woman placed her wand on Natalie's forehead, murmuring an incantation.

And Natalie felt the object on the platter slide out of her mind as effortlessly and gracefully as Kalissa had, leaving a small gap in her conscience. She realized with a a pang of surprise that she still could easily summon the memory so the object must have been a representation of the memory rather than the actual one which explained why summoning forth her feelings and sensations posed such a challenge.

Kalissa dropped the silver thread of light she extracted from Natalie into the stone basin. Once within the basin, the thread disintegrated into a mass and cluster of silver light that swirled and rippled, lapping at the basin's edges.

"Thank you," Natalie whispered.

Kalissa nodded. "Now for the second memory, we will repeat everything again. I need you to visualize and focus on that memory in the same manner as the first one. You are doing well."

Natalie picked out the memory of Snape talking to her in his office about his friendship. As she let the memory unfurl itself in her mind, the familiar emotions streamed over her; first the initial fear and anger of Snape calling her to his office for retribution, then the same maelstrom of feelings when she encountered the photograph again and finally when Snape told her of their friendship, a deep rooted aching sadness for him. She pictured the sequence of the memory as a slightly different object on a platter and the emotions colouring and painting her mind washed into that object.

Kalissa's consciousness once again slipped into her mind, its tender and warming presence energizing her with an ebullient sparkle.

"Are you ready?" said Kalissa, the words weaving across to Natalie.

"Yes," Natalie replied, her mind fixated on that object on a platter.

Kalissa's presence floated gracefully towards the memory. The memory softly slid out her control and played out for Kalissa.

"So sad," Kalissa whispered, emotion imbibing the words ringing in Natalie's head. "But excellent Natalie. I will leave now for good."

A wistfulness came over Natalie as she again felt Kalissa ease herself out of her mind with such effortless grace. Once Kalissa's presence completely exited, Natalie felt the tip of a wand on her forehead. The object on her platter started to become more distant, its proportions smaller, the edges and curves merging until it receded into a tiny dot in her mind. Natalie again was amazed at how she could think of the memory as sharply as before; she had only just made a replica.

Once Natalie opened her eyes, she found Kalissa smiling at her. "You did very well. And I am sorry if I caused you any harm when I entered your mind."

"Not at all. It was rather nice I have to say."

Kalissa's smile widened. "I have to agree as well. Now for Harry, do you know how to enter the memory?"

Natalie frowned, thinking back to the last time she entered a Pensieve. "Lean into the basin and let it pull you inward."

"Yes, that summarizes the sensation pretty well. Exiting is also very simple; you simply need to feel like you are ready to jump or ascend out of the memory and you should leave it."

Natalie nodded. "That makes sense." A question occurred to her; something she should have considered earlier. "There are two memories in the Pensieve. How will Harry know which one to enter?"

Kalissa winked at her. "I have already arranged for the memories to be viewed in sequential order. Once the first memory has been viewed, the second memory will automatically appear. Harry can therefore only enter the Pensieve at the beginning of the first memory and only exit at the end of the second memory."

"Thank you," said Natalie, shaking her head in admiration at Kalissa.

"Is there anything else you would like to talk about?" Kalissa asked, the intent expression on her face appearing again

"Not that I can think of." Natalie paused, smiling in realization at Kalissa. "Or should I ask, is there anything _you_ want to discuss?"

A sheepish expression crossed Kalissa's face. "You caught me there and you are right."

"And?" pressed Natalie, crossing her arms across her chest.

Kalissa laughed. "You look like Minerva when you do that. But yes, yesterday afternoon while you were still sleeping, Nymphadora came to talk to me-

"Oh," said Natalie breathlessly, feeling as if a pale of cold water just drenched her face. With her concerns about Snape, she forgot about Tonks. Bellatrix's words that night rang in her head in that same malicious, chilling singsong tone. Tonks knew about her. And that very knowledge cut into her like the dagger Bellatrix slid across the pink haired woman's throat two nights ago.

Kalissa raised her eyebrows. "You look rather taken aback."

"Well, I knew what Bellatrix said," stammered Natalie, her cheeks feeling very hot. "It's just a-

"A bit of a shock that someone else can so easily know about your identity after all we've done to protect it," Kalissa said for her.

Natalie looked at Kalissa in surprise before laughing shakily. "Well that summarizes my surprise pretty well."

"It's perfectly reasonable to be overwhelmed especially if you have not thought about it," said Kalissa empathetically. "I was saying that Nymphadora came to tell me that she was aware of your identity." Kalissa paused to watch Natalie whose face only became paler. "I gave as sufficient an explanation as I could for your past without going into any more details; more to confirm the truth for Nymphadora. And without me even imploring her to take a vow of secrecy, she promised not to tell anyone. She was very sincere."

"Oh good," said Natalie, letting out a huge breath. The comfort and assuredness she experienced last night when her mind briefly flickered over Tonks resurfaced again. They were family and for that reason alone, she knew she could trust the Auror.

Kalissa smiled at the relief on Natalie's face. "Since Nymphadora was so adamant and insistent about keeping your secret, I chose not to make her take a magical vow. The vow would only have ensured that she would not tell anyone else in the Order; most of the Death Eaters likely know by now so it would have been useless against them."

Natalie blinked. She had failed to consider the possibility that Bellatrix would have disseminated her identity but Kalissa's logic remained sound.

"You never thought that Bellatrix would be so open about who you are," Kalissa commented with a wry smile. "I must confess that neither did I but it seems her obsession with you has made her a bit irrational."

Natalie gave another shaky laugh." A 'bit irrational' is somewhat of an understatement- I suppose she has told quite a few Death Eaters. Well I don't like it but it isn't anything I can change."

"I agree. And as I was saying, I do believe that our secret is safe in the hands of Nymphadora. Though I do have a suggestion for you."

"Yes?" said Natalie curiously.

"Please talk to Nymphadora about your identity," said Kalissa slowly, watching for Natalie's reaction. "I believe it will be beneficial for both of you, especially as you and Nymphadora are-

"Cousins," Natalie completed with a smile. A rather warm feeling overcame her. "I don't like talking about Bellatrix but I agree- I feel like she deserves to hear from me."

"Yes she does," Kalissa stated, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you Natalie; you cannot imagine how proud I am feeling this moment."

Natalie's cheeks flushed. "You don't have to use such grand words. I suppose I should go- it looks like you have a fair amount of work."

Kalissa's eyes wavered to the clusters of papers and books by her desk. She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Yes I do. Natalie, is that all? If you want to talk about anything, remember I am only a few footsteps away."

"It's a wonderful change," said Natalie, a wide smile on her face as she stood from the settee.

"Wonderful is such a mild word," noted Kalissa with a comical roll of her eyes. In a more serious tone, as she and Natalie made their way to the door, "When Harry wants to see the memory, knock 4 times softly on my door and then make the 5th one as loud as you can. I will know it is you and leave the Pensive on my desk for the two of you to examine alone."

"Where will you be?" Natalie asked with a frown.

Kalissa winked at her. "Disappearing out of sight."

Natalie left the room, shaking her head in amusement at Kalissa's words. She turned to her left, walking the short distance to the Fat Lady's Portrait. Once she muttered the password and entered the Gryffindor common room, Natalie moved between the many groups of students conversing in low, anxious voices, looking for Hermione.

She plopped herself in a chair by the fireplace next to a group of second years, deciding to wait for Hermione to enter.

Since the invasion, all classes for the rest of the year were cancelled. Minerva and the other professors along with Kalissa were deliberating on whether to keep Hogwarts open for the rest of year; personally Natalie thought they should close the school. Since the Easter break, it appeared like Voldemort's influence had grown and extended significantly; there were many more reports of attacks against Muggles, Muggleborn families or those wizarding families aligined against Voldemort. And with Dumbledore's death, she imagined his power and potential for terror must have multiplied tenfold. Attracting students to Hogwarts away from their families, especially with the Headmaster gone, would be almost impossible. And also, Natalie thought with an uneasy lurch, having the castle act as a school made it much more vulnerable to another invasion.

So although many students, including she, Harry, Hermione and Ron, were helping with the reconstruction and reparations of the parts of the castle damaged by the Death Eaters, most of the students lingered in their respective common rooms, uncertain and scared about what lay in the future. Many had already left with their parents who wanted to have no part with a school in which one of the professors had just murdered the Headmaster in cold blood. The panic and gloom of inevitability was almost palpable in the air; everyone seemed to sense that they had reached a point of no return. It brought an aching sadness to Natalie's chest when she thought of all these students would have to face in the coming year.

A mane of bushy hair aroused Natalie out of her somber thoughts. She stood up from her armchair, navigating through the clusters of students to meet Hermione.

The brown haired girl waved her over with a tired smile on her face.

"How is everything going?" Natalie asked once she made her way to Hermione. They then proceeded to walk up the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

"We made some more progress after you left," Hermione answered. "Though not as much as we would have desired. A lot of the damage by the missed Killing curses is very difficult to replace."

She and Hermione were helping with the reperation of the corridors and rooms outside of the Hufflepuff common room that were severely damaged by the Death Eaters. Harry and Ron were aiding with the reconstruction Entrance Hall.

"I can imagine," noted Natalie with a sigh.

"How is Kalissa doing?" Hermione asked, gazing intently at Natalie

"She is doing as well as you can expect- obviously a lot of things to organize with Dumbledore's funeral and Order matters," Natalie answered.

"And your talk?" Hermione pressed.

Natalie smiled. Hermione obviously suspected Natalie was not telling her something. She likely noticed her anxious behavior for most of the day.

"It went very well," said Natalie with a genuine smile. "I know you want to know what has been bothering me and trust me, you will know very soon."

Hermione looked at her for a few seconds, her eyebrows knitted in concentration before she took a breath and spoke. "I do want to know but you should tell me when you're comfortable. " Her words were slow and deliberate yet the concerned and worried edge in her tone remained clear.

They reached their dormitories and dropped onto their respective beds. Thankfully, Parvati and Lavender, who were also heavily involved in the restorations, were absent.

Natalie smiled at her. "Thank you Hermione. "A somber expression unfolded upon her face as her tone became more serious. "I made a mistake and I will have to pay for it."

"You know you can talk to me," said Hermione assuredly.

"Yes I know," Natalie said with a sigh. "You won't be very happy with me though when you hear."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Then, a frown creased her brow followed by her eyes narrowing. She studied and watched Natalie with same intensity Kalissa had a few minutes ago. And finally, her face cleared into an unreadable, flat expression Natalie could not decipher. Hermione's lack of response and sequence of expressions distinctively unnerved Natalie, threatening to release the crushing sense of foreboding that she had tried to repress for most of the day.

After a few more moments of the tense silence, Hermione tilted her head. "Well whatever I hear, I'm still one of your best friends."

Natalie caught Hermione's eye. A burst of emotion overcame her as her breath hitched. She was so grateful for Hermione's understanding and patience at the moment.

Somehow unable to speak, Natalie instead walked over to her friend, pulling her into a tight embrace. She stroked Hermione's back, holding the embrace for an extended before releasing her. Her vision blurred as she noticed with a tinge of embarrassment that her eyes were welling with tears.

Hermione intertwined their hands. A soft and gentle expression unfolded across her face, her eyes almost demanding that Natalie listen to her. "We will all be here for you no matter what happens."

Natalie nodded, trying her best not to think of their reactions for she knew the tears would be inevitable. Her throat constricted. She could barely talk. It was as if an invisible weight, that had been hovering over her for a long time, suddenly dropped, pressing her entire being into an extremely burdensome, suffocating stranglehold.

Hermione brushed at Natalie's eyes with an understanding smile. Natalie again could not help but be so grateful. Hermione must be struggling with her own curiosity, disappointment and hurt at the revelation that she was hiding another secret yet the strength and sincerity of her support never wavered.

"Thank you Hermione. You have no idea how much this means to me- I promise I will tell you soon," said Natalie, her voice sounding extremely hoarse as if she had not spoken in days. If it took so much effort to utter those two sentences, how would she be able to tell Harry?

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Like I said, we're all here and we're not going anywhere. Why don't we head to the Great Hall for a cup of tea?"

"I think that would be nice," Natalie replied, relieved that her voice was returning.

They walked down the stairs, through the busy common room and quickly made their way to the Great Hall.

"I suppose you want to tell Harry," Hermione said, looking at Natalie expectantly.

Natalie's lips twitched at Hermione's always so accurate perception. "Yes," asked Natalie, meeting her friend's gaze. "Today, hopefully before supper."

Hermione nodded as they continued walking to the Great Hall, both in their reflective silences. Natalie was again glad for Hermione's ability to reign in her curiosity and not mount an onslaught of questions at her.

Once they reached the doors of the Great Hall, Hermione spoke again. "Harry and Ron should be finished their work in about half an hour. I can take Ron away from you and then I suggest you find a private place to share with Harry."

Natalie smiled at her. "Yes I will."

"Good," said Hermione, her eyes flashing. "And then you can tell us."

Natalie bowed her head, not missing the clipped tone. "Of course."

They took a seat at their usual spots along the Gryffindor table, pouring a cup of tea for Natalie and a cup of coffee for Hermione. Natalie drank her tea, barely nibbling on the pastries and cakes in front of her. Her face was becoming unnaturally hot as she sipped the tea, the tightness and pressure in her chest again rising. The implications and consequences of the conversation she was about to have weaved across her mind, each possible situation throwing itself upon the weight pressing on her. Harry's entire outlook would change soon because of her but more importantly, it should have and deserved to change a long time ago.

The knots and twisting sensations in her stomach, though very discomforting, were of no surprise to her. The trepidation and fear were building since her dream and to be honest with herself, the first spurs likely formed the moment she saw the photograph. But what squeezed and strangled her was the thought that perhaps her mistake was indeed unforgivable. A wisp of a realization Natalie tried to tell herself but the wisp lengthened, curled and threaded upon itself while she drank her tea. There was no escaping the fact that the possibility existed.

After they finished, Hermione smiled warmly at her, briefly grasping and squeezing Natalie's hand before they stood up and headed for the Gryffindor Common Room where Ron and Harry would be relaxing.

Natalie tried to focus on breathing in and out as they walked back to the common room. Dwelling on what lay ahead would not help her prepare for this conversation. She needed to be as calmed and determined as she could for Harry; she could not fall apart at the seams when he would want a clear and rational explanation.

Feeling and watching air stream through her nostrils, inflate and deflate her chest in a gentle, steady rhythm managed to soothe Natalie's nerves just to the point where the emotion could not throttle and overwhelm her.

After what seemed like a very short walk, they arrived at the Fat Lady's Portrait. Hermione enunciated the password but before Natalie could step through the threshold, Hermione grabbed her arm.

"You can close the portrait," Hermione told the Fat Lady who appeared distinctively annoyed.

Natalie's heart skipped a beat when she followed Hermione's gaze to see Harry and Ron walking to them with wearisome expressions on their faces. Hermione somewhat dragged her to meet them.

"Look who we have here," said Ron, a crooked grin appearing on his face.

"Yes, look who we have," noted Hermione with a chuckle. "Everything is going fine?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We haven't made as much progress as we would like but I imagine that is the case for everybody." Harry caught Natalie's eyes. He frowned at the grim look on her face and the way she was clasping her hands nervously.

"It certainly is," agreed Hermione with a dismissive wave. "The Death Eaters did too much damage. Anyway, Ron, I was thinking that I wanted a bite to eat before supper- I believe tea is still being served in the Great Hall. Would you care to join me?"

Ron's face flushed at Hermione's request. He nodded enthusiastically, stepping over to her side. Looking at the other two, he said, "Coming? I reckon Hermione's right. I am starving."

Before Harry could speak, Natalie shook her head. She stared solemnly at Harry. "I'd like to speak with Harry."

Both Ron and Harry shot her quizzical glances though Harry's expression appeared a bit more wearisome.

"What?" said Ron but Hermione caught hold of his hand, surprising all of them. Ron's cheeks turned even redder though as he stared at their intertwined hands, he looked very pleased.

"Shall we go?" Hermione asked with a rather disarming smile.

Ron raised his eyebrows at her before he nodded again, walking off with Hermione. However, he turned his head around to exchange a puzzled glance with Harry.

"What was that?" Harry asked, his arms folded against his chest as he looked at Ron and Hermione's exiting figures.

"Hermione is being a good friend," said Natalie, her voice coming out rather soft.

Harry frowned at her. "Is everything alright Natalie and why did you want to speak to me? You haven't been yourself today at all."

Natalie drew a deep breath. "Could we find a classroom to talk- I'd prefer not to have this conversation right in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room." She added in a lower tone, "There's something I have to tell you."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her, the lines on his face tautening but he nodded.

"The usual classroom where we tend to have these _conversations_?" said Harry, an unsettling edge creeping into his voice.

Natalie's heart sank at the caustic tone. "Yes I think that would work, assuming no no one is there. And the classroom is adjacent to Kalissa's chambers which should be useful."

Harry raised his eyebrows at her but he refrained from asking the subsequent question. Without glancing at her, he walked along the corridor to the classroom in which she had told him and then Ron about Bellatrix. She followed him, doing her best to slow her breathing to a steady and purposeful rhythm and keep her heart beat at manageable pace.

She failed miserably in both regards.

They passed the polished oak door leading to Kalissa's room which Natalie knew they would soon enter. Harry opened the door to the next classroom, entering the room and taking a familiar seat on top of a desk in the front left row. Natalie closed the door, waving her wand to cast the appropriate Silencing charms and Detection spells for eavesdroppers before she joined him on the adjacent desk.

As she sat next to him, Harry's eyes flickered to her before they returned to the chalkboard. His eyes clouded in an unreadable emotion. A troubled expression shrouded his face.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" said Harry, his voice unnaturally even and flat.

Natalie swallowed. This was the moment she had dreaded for the last day. The ramifications terrified and tormented her but her sense of purpose was stronger. Harry needed to know.

"I am very sorry Harry," Natalie began slowly, letting each word unfurl itself in the space between them, providing a root from which the prickled, thorny and cutting implications sprouted. "I have kept something important, actually very significant, from you for a long time. And you should have known much earlier."

Harry shifted in his seat. Natalie's voice caught in her throat.

"Another secret then," said Harry quietly. It was not a question.

Natalie swallowed again, luckily managing to wet her throat and catch her voice.

"Yes," she continued in that slow, deliberate tone. "I am so sorry Harry. I want to warn you that what you will find out will probably change a lot of things for you."

Harry swiveled his body to face her, an angry gleam in his eyes. "Enough of this waving your hands and warning me. You've kept something from me. Again. I want to hear what it is before things can change."

Natalie held his gaze, not wanting to let his anger force her to retreat. "It will be a huge revelation for you." She remained silent for a few more seconds, trying to convey with the insistence and resolve in her eyes that Harry needed to listen to her.

The angry gleam in his eyes only intensified..

Natalie breathed again. "Very well then." She paused for a moment to collect her words. "I told you that after the attack on us on Christmas day, it was Snape who brought me back to Hogwarts."

Harry's face darkened immediately at the man's name. Natalie ignored the jolt of fear racing along her spine.

"Yes, you said it was _him_," said Harry, almost spitting out the last word.

Natalie nodded before continuing. "After he apparated with me to Hogwarts, he took me to his office to wait for Dumbledore. When I was there, he left for a while and Remus and then Dumbledore came to see me- it was very welcoming and relieving at the time to meet both of them. But that is not the point of this conversation. Anyway, when Snape returned, it was just myself and him-

"Did that coward do anything to you?" said Harry furiously, leaning forward and clenching fists.

Natalie stared at him in astonishment. "No of course not. At least at that point, he was very civil."

Harry unclenched his fists. "Well then?" An incandescent ferocity hardened and illuminated his face, clearing the troubled expression from before.

Natalie forced herself to keep her eyes on Harry. "So as I was saying, it was just him and I in his office. As I turned to exit, I accidentally collided with him and a photograph dropped out of his robes." Natalie paused to compose herself. Harry's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "The photograph was a picture of two teenage friends-best friends I believe in a summer day. The two teenagers were Snape and your mother, Harry."

Harry stared at her with that blazing intensity. Natalie could almost feel the words leave her mouth, traverse the distance between and then enter his mind with a thundering force.

Finally after a few extended moments of staring at her with that identical expression, Harry averted his eyes. A blank look unfolded across his face before his gaze returned to her with the same fierce insistence.

"No, you're wrong. Not my mother," said Harry with an authority that surprised Natalie. "You're wrong."

Natalie gently shook her head, deciding to continue with her story. "When he saw that the photograph had fallen and that I had seen it, Snape was as angry as I have ever seen him. He threw me out of his office." Natalie took a breath. "But a few days later, he called me to his office- you should remember that pretty well. It was when he said he needed to 'talk to me about my recent behavior.' However, as I did not expect, he had no desire to chastise me but rather he apologized for what happened that night. And then he confessed that the photograph was true; he and your mother were friends. They grew up in the same neighbourhood as children."

Natalie let out a breath when she finished, as if something lodged deep within her had just forcefully uprooted.

Harry crossed his arms against his chest. His expression had not wavered nor had his eyes from Natalie. She knew he needed time to absorb the story, but still, the intensity and persistence of his expression unnerved her.

And then slowly but with a definite purpose, his face morphed. His eye sockets bulged into great bulbous holes with alarming vigor, the taut lines deepened into creases, his cheekbones pushed out slightly, his nostrils flared and his lips set out into a stubborn frown.

"It cannot be true," said Harry, his voice rising furiously. "No it cannot, not with _him_. Not her. You are lying."

Natalie shook her head. "No I am not. Everything I am telling you is completely true."

And her words seemed to ignite something within Harry. He jumped off the desk, stamping his foot on the ground.

"Why should I believe you? WHY? After all this time, you decide to tell me now! NOW OF ALL TIMES! Do you know what's he done to me, to my mother? Do you Natalie?"

Each word echoed and rang around the room with thunderous force. Natalie did her best to hold her position though her heart hammered against her chest and cold sweat dripped down her neck. She prepared for this outburst. Harry deserved to be angry but it did not change the fact that she was scared.

Harry leaned back against his desk, the tormented expression continuing to contort his face. "So why should I believe you Natalie? There is really no reason."

Natalie breathed again, focusing on the air flowing in and out of her lungs. She could not focus on all of the emotion boiling in this room and let it deter her from showing Harry.

"I agree with you Harry," Natalie said. A wave of relief rolled through her when he did not cut her off. "I would want some proof if I were in your position. And I do have some evidence for you."

Harry looked at her in astonishment. He opened and closed his mouth several times before speaking. "What are you saying?" he said in that low, menacing tone.

Natalie stepped cautiously towards him and to her relief, he did not recoil from her.

"Proof Harry. I can show you the memories of those two encounters with Snape."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "How?"

Natalie ran her hand through her hair for she could sense Harry was on the brink of another outburst. She took another breath, again trying to prepare herself.

"Kalissa has a Pensieve and I asked her to extract my memories and place them in the Pensieve for you to see."

Harry pushed himself off the desk with surprising force. His face twisted and tightened into that expression of rippling ferocity.

Harry stepped towards her, his eyes blazing. "So Kalissa knows this little secret! How nice it must be for the two of you to have a cup of tea and chat about my MOTHER and my life!"

Every time Harry shouted, it struck a devastating blow at Natalie, taking the breath out of her. With each onslaught of words, the unsettling sensation of falling into a deep abyss mounted. And although the vicious anger on Harry's face paralyzed her into a tightly wound and stricken state, she knew the weightlessness had nothing to do with fear. It only came because his words were true. And no fiber of her being could stand being responsible for this torment.

But she needed Harry to know that she was telling the truth.

"It wasn't like that," said Natalie clenching her jaw. "I know you're finding it hard to believe me-

"OF COURSE I AM!" Harry bellowed, his body shaking with fury. "You don't know Snape like how I do. Back in fifth year, when he was teaching me Occlumency, I saw a memory of him in Hogwarts. And in that memory he called my mother a '_filtly little mudlbood.'_ " Harry paused, taking his breath. "A '_filthy little mudlbood.'_ Do you know what that means Natalie?"

Natalie stiffened. The statement stunned her. She had no idea that Harry had seen such a memory. Moreover, if true, Snape's behavior was incongruent with the picture she had seen and his confession.

"No you don't, do you?" Harry continued, burning holes in her with his eyes. "I can't see how anyone would be friends with that slimy haired git, let alone my MOTHER!"

Natalie shivered at the way he pronounced the last word. Even though Harry's phrases continued to bludgeon her, she remembered Snape's words in the second memory. "_I made mistakes that I could not repair_."The memory Harry saw must have been one of those mistakes.

"And how would they live in the same neighbourhood?" spat Harry. "He was in Slytherin. In Slytherin! Which Slytherins live in a Muggle neighbourhood?"

"I believe he is a half blood so it is entirely possible he came from a Muggle area," said Natalie as firmly as she could, determined not to let Harry overwhelm her with his words. "And I did not know about that memory but he told me he did some things that were unforgivable to your mother and that is why they stopped being friends. I imagine the memory you saw was one of those instances."

Harry looked at her in outrage, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to exclaim another harsh retort but could not find the words.

Natalie used the pause to her advantage. She stepped forward to him.

"Harry, I know you are absolutely angry at me and you have every right to be," said Natalie, her voice quivering on the last few words. "But you need to know what I'm saying is true, at least for your conscience. Please just take a look at those memories in Kalissa's Pensieve."

Harry stared at her with that same outraged expression for a moment before he backed away from her. His breathing slowed, his eyes receded slightly into their pockets and the lines on his face loosened. However, he continued to glare at her.

"Let's go," hissed Harry. "I see you picked a convenient location."

And without waiting for Natalie, he unlocked the door with his wand and strode out of the room. Natalie let out a breath she did not knew she was holding. Yet she knew this was just the beginning.

She quickly followed him, having to almost run to match his long strides. She reached Kalissa's door just behind Harry and as Harry raised his hand to knock, Natalie placed her hand on his wrist, stopping him.

Thankfully, he did not retreat from her touch although he shot her a very frustrated look. She knocked on the door as Kalissa had instructed. And a second after the last knock, the door opened of its own accord.

Harry stormed into the room, his eyes searching for the stone basin. As Natalie entered, her shoulder tingled. Surprised and slightly alarmed, she looked behind her but noticed nobody though the air shimmered briefly before she heard the fading sound of muffled footsteps down the corridor.

Natalie smiled to herself. Kalissa must have a cast Invisibility spell on herself when she knocked.

She closed the door behind them, knowing it would automatically lock and all of the charms and wards Kalissa placed around the door would activate again.

"Is that it?" said Harry, pointing to the stone basin lying on the small table by Kalissa's settee.

His tone, to Natalie's relief, contained less of a biting and stinging edge.

"Yes. You know how to enter the memory?"

Harry nodded, his eyes fixated on the Pensieve. The scorching fury blazing across his face had abated. Instead, his feature flattened into an almost unreadable expression. His snarl turned into a barely perceptible frown, his eyes narrowed, clouded by an emotion Natalie could not quite recognize and the creases and lines on his face faded into mere outlines.

But then Natalie noticed the rest of his body language. His chin trembled and his hands shook slightly as he tried to contain the trembling by clasping and unclasping them, not unlike in her dream she thought with a shudder. A wave of warmth swept over Natalie. It was fear. Harry was scared. A part of him must have believed her and realized that whatever he saw in the Pensieve would change so much for him.

And with that realization, a desperate urge overcame Natalie to comfort Harry. She took a step forward. His gaze turned towards her, alighting the tiniest embers of hope that lay within her but then his eyes quickly averted from her, extinguishing those embers.

"How do I travel between the two memories?" said Harry in an eerie, hollow tone.

"Kalissa's arranged it so that once you enter the Pensieve, you will see all the events in sequential order-

"I will then just leave the first memory once it's done and then enter the second memory without having to do anything?"

"Yes."

"And to leave? Do I just feel like I want to jump out of the memory?"

"I believe so."

Harry nodded, taking a deep breath. Natalie debated whether she should offer to accompany him but seeing his entire stance so turned away from her, she elected not to ask. And neither did he.

Harry leaned into the Pensieve, first slowly and then when the basin began to pull in his body, he quickly disappeared like an object sucked in by a Muggle vacuum cleaner.

Natalie released another breath as she sat on the settee besides the Pensieve. The two memories should take about ten or fifteen minutes in total in which she knew her mind would run in all different directions about the recent encounter with Harry.

Natalie looked at the Pensieve which was swirling around at a faster pace than before Harry entered. Kalissa was right. This was as angry as she had seen Harry. All of his statements cut themselves into her mind, causing her stomach to drop further and further as the too familiar weightlessness came over her. She deserved all of his fury, all of the stinging remarks. And there would be nothing she could do to placate him. This was a life changing discovery and the ramifications would be extremely severe. She did not even want to think about his reaction after he saw those two memories. Her dream was too vivid of a reminder anyway.

Natalie gritted her teeth. Her resolve about the rightness and necessity of the decision to tell him never wavered. It was only right. She made the terrible mistake, not him and she would endure the crushing consequences.

But now, Natalie did not want to think ahead. As the last week showed, the future was so unpredictable for all of them. And so dangerous, Natalie added with a shiver. Ruminating and worrying about events over which she had little control was useless. And moreover, it was tiring. Ever since she decided to tell him yesterday evening, her worries about this encounter seemed to consume almost every waking hour. The notion of revealing this to Harry blunted all her thoughts, emotions, moods and even actions, making everything appear a bit more distant and empty. She breathed again. Exhaustion was beginning to creep into her and she knew she could not continue to harass herself with all of these needling concerns, as important as they were.

And so, Natalie focused her mind on whatever Arithmancy or Ancient Runes problem she could summon to distract her. And to her relief, the problems, especially if they were challenging, managed to divert her attention although a certain pair of bright green eyes always streaked across her mind at inopportune times. But Natalie pushed through those flickering images, able to solve some of the more difficult problems.

And quicker than she expected, Harry emerged out of the Pensieve. He stumbled onto the floor but was careful not to knock over the basin.

Once he regained his balance, he leaned against the settee upon which Natalie sat. She startled out of her thoughts and quickly discarded the problem she was trying to solve. And then Natalie waited.

Harry's eyes remained transfixed on the Pensieve and its silvery contents which swirled at a slower pace. He bore a dazed expression, his facial features as flat and emotionless as before but without the frightened body language. Instead, his hands lay at his sides, his chin tilted slightly and his breathing slow but steady.

Harry continued to stare at the stone basin. No anger, disappointment, shock or fear glimmered in his eyes. Rather, he appeared as if he was watching something over and over again while all emotion washed over him, not a drop lingering.

Then after a few minutes that felt like hours for Natalie, Harry's gaze shifted from the Pensieve to the clutter of papers and books on Kalissa's desk. He exhaled loudly, taking a seat on the settee on the side opposite Natalie.

And his breathing accelerated to a quicker and more irregular rhythm. His legs started to shake, taking on a noticeable vibration. He began to alternate between wringing his hands and running them through his hair in a slightly frantic frenzy. His jaw clenched with his teeth appearing to clatter against each other.

Harry's face morphed into a variety of expressions: the almost feral snarl, flared nostrils and burning green eyes marking anger, the knitted eyebrows and furrowed brow in frustration, the clouded eyes and thin lipped frown indicating fear. He moved between all of these expression at breakneck speed as his eyes flickered among all emotions like a flame changing in shape, colour and intensity and as his face contorted and framed itself to match the eyes like the beams of light emanating from those flames.

But he always returned to one expression that lasted the longest. The painful curling of the lips in a grimace, closed eyes with their heavy shadows, stretched tendons and muscles and the clearly outlined creases and lines all spoke to one devastating emotion.

Torment.

And thinking of that word brought a terrible aching sadness to Natalie. She wanted to speak to Harry, utter any phrase or remark that might bring a semblance of comfort. But she should not nor did she think she could. She needed to let him have the moment to himself, to absorb and experience everything. Natalie swallowed. She remembered when she first learned of Bellatrix. It was a terrible discovery but she was glad Kalissa allowed her to endure the entire range of emotions, see and respond to every thought that sprang in her head along with the implications and let all she knew be coloured with this information.

Harry remained in this uncertain, agitated state for a long time. His lack of response and notice of her strained her nerves. She was starting to wonder whether she should speak and break into the bubble he had created around himself. And then as Natalie was just ready to open her mouth, Harry's gaze turned to her.

He caught Natalie's eyes, surprising her. He stared at her with a steely resolve and intensity that bordered on unsettling. Natalie felt as if her entire character were being scrutinized, her actions and motives drawn out by the pure determination in his eyes. She wanted to tear her eyes away from him but she could not. A certain conviction held her in her place.

When the sheer persistence of his gaze began to frighten her, his eyes clouded, hiding much of their intensity and then seemed to soften for a second before they shifted away from Natalie. She released a long, withdrawn breath.

Harry placed his chin on his hands, looking at the floor with that pained expression. And then while Natalie expected him to remain fixated in this pose for another few minutes, Harry leaned back on the settee.

"She was friends with _him,_ " said Harry, his voice sounding very hoarse if he had not used it in a while.

"She was friends with him," Harry repeated. This time, his tone was devoid of the disbelief of before.

"Yes she was," Natalie said softly.

"And he liked her," Harry said, running his hands through his hair. "He liked her."

"Yes," answered Natalie again in that same gentile, barely audible voice.

Harry looked at he. His eyes blazed in fury before simmering back to their bright yet calmer state.

"All this time, all of these months, you knew," Harry said furiously but without the harsh, venomous edge. "You knew Natalie. Every conversation we had, every kiss, every touch and you knew about my mother and Snape."

Natalie bowed her head, the shame burning her. "Yes I did. And it was terrible and cruel of me Harry."

"Yes it was," confirmed Harry coldly. "You had no right to conceal that information from me. She was my mother Natalie!"

"I know," said Natalie in a choked voice. "I'm so sorry."

"Why did you not tell me?" Harry asked, clenching his fists.

Natalie lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. She again tried to convey as much warmth and concern as she could to him. "It was not because I didn't want to tell you, that I didn't trust or care for you."

"You felt obliged to Snape." It was not a question.

A jolt of surprise raced along Natalie's spine. "Yes,"

"He saved your life that night," Harry continued. A clear anger and disappointment imbibed his voice but his tone lacked the penetrating contempt and disgust Natalie expected. "And you felt like it was his secret and not your secret to tell."

Natalie's eyes widened. "Yes, well Harry, that's exactly how I felt."

Harry's expression darkened slightly. "Well then, you were absolutely wrong."

"I know. She was your mother; it was your right to know and my obligation to you as your girlfriend and one of your best friends should have been most important."

Harry stared at her again with a clouded, unreadable expression.

After a few moments of looking at her, he spoke again. "You are right. But it doesn't change what you've done Natalie. You could have told me much earlier, allowed me to confront and talk to Snape instead of now when he is far away from all of us. And we are all paying for your mistake."

The words cut into Natalie, plunging into her like daggers. The familiar weightlessness quickly followed as her stomach took another steep dive.

But Natalie ignored those sensations. Harry was a bit different than she expected, slightly milder and more accepting. A desperate urge came over to her communicate to him, express how she felt now.

She slid cautiously towards Harry who did not move away from her. "Harry, you are right. This is my fault- my stupidity, misjudgment and my fear. You should have never suffered and I absolutely hate seeing you like this. I am so sorry."

Harry gazed at her for a few seconds before he again spoke. "I know but I can't forgive you Natalie." He shuddered. "Not now."

Natalie nodded, feeling an ironic combination of despair and relief. His words stung but at the same time, Harry appeared to understand her.

Natalie inched slightly closer to Harry. There was something else she needed to say. She managed to lock her eyes with him and in those orbs, she was surprised to see a touch of curiosity.

"Harry," began Natalie, her chin trembling. "What I did was terrible but it does not change at all how I feel about you. I kept the secret because I felt obliged to Snape, not because I did not trust you nor because I did not value our relationship. I care as much for you as anybody as I have ever met; along with Kalissa, you are the most important person in my life and whatever happened here is completely separate from my feelings for you."

Harry stared at her with the same clouded, cryptic expression for a few seconds. He then turned his head away from Natalie. Her chest tightened and her throat became very dry. Although she had confessed the strength of her feelings for Harry numerous times in the last few months, the enormity and pressure coiling around them in this situation made her feel unnaturally exposed and vulnerable.

After a long, extended moment in which Natalie's chest seemed to begin to buckle on itself, Harry's gaze returned to her. His eyes glowed with a fierce persistence that appeared slightly different than before.

And as she let her eyes wander over his face, she startled at what she saw. His features had relaxed, not into a flat, emotionless landscape, but rather into a soft, meandering one. All of the ridges, creases and lines remained discernible but everything flowed seamlessly together into a barely perceptible tenderness that formed a odd dichotomy with the burning passion in his eyes.

Harry tilted his head ever so slightly to her. "I understand Natalie," Harry said in a choked voice. He drew a deep breath. "I feel the same way about you. But like how your actions have nothing to do with us, our feelings cannot change what you did."

Natalie tried to prevent a smile from forming on her face. "Thank you Harry. And I know."

Harry held her gaze for a few more moments before he nodded.

He looked at the Pensieve with a contemplative expression. Natalie followed his gaze, for once letting her mind relax. She could not help but marvel at the way Harry handled this situation; he was very angry but a greater understanding and acceptance reined in his fury, almost anchoring him. He appreciated her position and perspective and that understanding was worth a thousand outbursts.

But apparently, she concluded too soon.

Harry suddenly bent down, his body shuddering.

"Harry," said Natalie cautiously, not expecting this reaction.

Harry leaned back on the settee, a tortured expression settling on his features as his breathing became very shallow and rapid.

"Everybody knew," said Harry in an unnerving, low tone.

Natalie swallowed, realizing where he was heading.

"Everybody," enunciated Harry as if he wanted the word to echo and ring around his mind. "Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, Hagrid, McGonagall."

A compulsion arouse within Natalie to respond to his statement.

"Dumbledore knew Harry," said Natalie quietly, realizing she was walking on a thin line but she felt Harry needed to know this as well. "When I saw Kalissa for the first time after the attack on us, Dumbledore came to talk to her. He mentioned to me that Snape informed him that I had seen the photograph-

"He already knew," said Harry, his teeth clenching with his voice still residing in that low, menacing tone.

"Yes. And he hinted that he asked Snape to talk to me."

Harry laughed, an unnatural, wild sound that sounded more like a cackle.

Natalie's heartbeat accelerated, the hair at the back of her neck prickling.

"Why should I have expected any different?" said Harry, a bitter, stinging edge outlining his voice. "Why?"

"Harry," Natalie said again but Harry raised his hand to stop her.

"No, Natalie. Everyone knows about my life, about my mother," spat Harry venomously. "And yet no one chose to tell me."

He paused, seeming to let the words sink into himself.

"They all knew- all of them but no, we can't tell the little boy because he won't be able to handle it."

"I'm certain that's not how they feel," Natalie protested.

"OF COURSE THAT'S HOW THEY FEEL!" Harry shouted, rising from the settee. He slowed his breathing and lowered his voice but the contemptuous fury still existed. "All those times I complained that Snape ridiculed and attacked me in the classroom, to Dumbledore, Remus, Hagrid and even McGonagall, no one thought to be honest with me. Then when the Occlumency lessons turned out to be a complete disaster, again, silence. And when I saw that memory of Snape calling my mother a mudblood, Remus and Sirius just sat there, knowing fully well what they were hiding."

Harry stamped his foot on the ground, his breathing rapid and irregular.

"And how do you expect me to justify that? 'They care for you Harry, they don't want to see you hurt.' Well I'm tired of all that nonsense- I'm not the eleven year old boy cowering in his aunt and uncle's cupboard, thinking that his parents died in a drunken car accident. "

An aching sadness filled Natalie. The fact that so many people knew so much more about his life and parents always tormented Harry. This information was like the sharpest tip of such an arrowhead.

"I'm so sorry," whispered Natalie, her eyes beginning to glisten. "It should have never been like this."

Harry ignored her. He paced around the room before his hands settled on the desk. He gripped the edge, the veins in his hands becoming prominent and the tendons and muscles in his arms tautening.

He leaned over the desk, his breathing slow and deep.

"When I went to see Dumbledore to go find the locket, I ran into Trelawney," said Harry slowly. "She was the one who predicted the prophecy for Dumbledore in the Hog's Head. And do you know who she said the Death Eater that overheard them was?"

Natalie gasped, her heart sinking. "No, it couldn't be."

A rueful smile crossed Harry's face. "Finally something I know that you do not." But the smile vanished and his teeth bared in a feral snarl. "It was Snape."

Harry turned toward her. "He is the reason for everything that's happened to me. My parents' deaths, why Voldemort is on a constant hunt for me and now Dumbledore's death." Harry released another wild, maniacal cackle. "And when I told Dumbledore, you know what he said? That Snape showed great remorse for my parents' deaths. Do you even believe that rubbish?"

"Harry," said Natalie, astonished at this revelation. She had never thought that Snape would have been the one to convey the prophecy to Voldemort. "You saw the picture-

"Yes I did," interjected Harry, slamming his hands on the desk. "But it doesn't mean he gave a rat's arse about my father and I. DOES IT NATALIE? He may have been friends with my mother but I do not think he was even bothered that she was dead!"

"You need to talk to him," said Natalie lamely although she did not back down from Harry's burning gaze.

"AND HOW WILL I DO THAT?" Harry kicked the desk rather violently before moving away. "The man's a filthy coward and murderer. The next time I see him, talking about my mother will be the last thing on my mind."

Harry stomped his foot on the floor. He looked like he was ready to knock down a pile of books on Kalissa's desk but he restrained himself.

He leaned with his back against the desk. The expression of pure torment and agony once again wretched his face.

"I'm just so angry," said Harry, his voice thick with emotion. "You're not the only one Natalie who I am furious with but it doesn't excuse you at all."

"I understand Harry," said Natalie with a grim smile. She desperately wanted to hold him in her arms and comfort him, but she knew Harry needed his space.

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I need time. This is just all so wrong." He pushed himself forcefully from the desk and with one last pained look at Natalie, turned on his heel and marched out of the room.

Natalie stood up from her seat, combing a hand through her hair. She released another breath. In all honesty, Harry reacted much better than she expected. He made the effort to try to understand her. She allowed herself a smile. He truly changed from when she told him about Bellatrix.

Though she knew his anger would not abate easily. His entire perspective was wrenched out and rearranged in that Pensieve. The ramifications would be far reaching and he would undoubtedly want explanations from everyone who had not told him.

Natalie shuddered. One of his biggest fears was that others did not trust him or consider him worthy enough to tell him important information. Natalie's throat constricted, her chest tightening. The revelation about Snape struck as a devastating validification. She hoped with all her might that Harry could see past the concealment. Natalie gritted her teeth. She would do everything she could to help him; not only because she was responsible for this suffering but because she cared so much for him, a feeling bordering on something else she did not yet want to consider.

Yet now, Harry was right. He needed time to mull over everything, appreciate how his perspective had altered and seek some explanations.

Natalie nodded to herself. She was glad she told him. It felt right and whatever happened, her mistake would not tear them apart.

She walked towards the door but before she reached it, she heard two sharp knocks. Natalie stopped in mid step, narrowing her eyes at the door. Harry surely would not return and Kalissa would not have needed to knock to enter the room…..then who else? Natalie did not particularly feel like talking to anybody at the moment; sharing with Harry was very tiring. But she also wanted to tell Ron and Hermione as soon as possible.

Natalie shrugged her shoulders and moved to the door, opening it. She smiled at the sight of Ron and Hermione's anxious expressions.

"I should have expected the two of you to come here so quickly," Natalie noted wryly. "I gather you spoke to or saw Harry."

"He looked in an absolute mess, as bad as I have seen him," said Hermione with a frown as she entered the room.

"Bloody hell, what did you tell him?" said Ron, not bothering to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice.

Natalie ignored the aching sadness cutting into her at the thought of Harry. She sighed at the pair. They needed to know as well and there was no other opportunity that could be better.

"It was quite important," said Natalie gravely. "You two can take a seat on the settee."

Ron remained standing, his arms crossed against his chest while Hermione reluctantly took a seat though her intent, scrutinizing gaze remained on Natalie.

"So?" said Ron harshly.

"I'll get to the point then," said Natalie, not offended by Ron's curt tone. She expected him to be protective of Harry.

Natalie took another breath, composing herself. "The two of you know that after the attack on Kalissa and I on Christmas, Snape took me back to Hogwarts."

Both of them nodded with equally as perplexed expressions.

"When I was under his supervision in the castle, I accidentally came across a photograph in his office; it actually slipped out of his robes when I collided with him. It was a picture of him and Harry's mother, Lily- they looked to be very good friends and were quite happy. " She ignored the dumbfounded look that passed over Ron's face and the astonishment on that of Hermione. "Naturally, Snape was very angry with me and literally threw me out of his office. However, about a week later, he asked me to come to his office apparently to 'chastise me for my horrendous behavior.' Of course, he was lying. He wanted to talk to me about the photograph; he confessed that he and Lily were very close friends at some point- they grew up in the same Muggle neighbourhood and remained friends for much of their Hogwarts years. And this is of course what I told Harry."

Once she finished, she wet her lips and stepped towards the settee, keeping her eyes away from Ron and Hermione. After she took a seat, she allowed her gaze to wander over the two of them.

Ron stared into space with an expression of utter disbelief while Hermione looked stunned.

Natalie waited a few more moments for them both to absorb the information. Ron continued to look very dazed, but a contemplative expression began to unfold over Hermione's face. Natalie knew she was evaluating every word Natalie said, looking for a fact or implication that she could disprove.

"Neither of you believe me, do you?" said Natalie.

"Why would we?" asked Ron, his voice rising. "It makes no bloody sense. Snape and Harry's mum!"

"There's nothing of what you said which would seem impossible," said Hermione slowly. "But it is so surprising and quite frankly, shocking, to-

"Believe at face value without any evidence," Natalie completed.

Hermione bowed her head, her cheeks flushing.

"I would feel the same way Hermione," added Natalie kindly. "And I do have proof for the two of you." She gestured to the Pensieve on the table besides Hermione.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth as her gaze focused on the shallow, stone basin.

"Your memories are in there," said Ron, an awestruck expression on his face.

"Yes," Natalie concurred. "Two memories- one in which I saw the photograph and the second one in which Snape told me about him and Lily."

Hermione finally regained her voice. "Can we-

"Of course," said Natalie with a grim smile. "I showed Harry just now and I want you two to see as well. It is the best proof I can give you."

Hermione breathed. "Thank you Natalie."

A warmth settled over Natalie at the gratitude and sincerity in Hermione's voice. She knew a part of Hermione must be astonished and angry that she concealed such a secret from Harry, but her friend still was able to understand how difficult sharing this information was for her.

Ron nodded, unfolding his arms and walked over to the Pensieve. His glaze flickered to Natalie. He hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something but then continued walking to the Pensieve.

Natalie sighed. She expected Ron to be much colder with her than Hermione.

"The two memories are in the Pensieve," Natalie explained. 'The two of you can enter the first memory by just leaning in and letting it pull you in. Once you are finished with the first memory, you should move directly into the second one without having to do or cast anything. And then when the second memory is finished, you can exit the Pensieve by jumping out and feeling like you push yourself out of the basin; Harry was able to do that fairly easily."

Hermione nodded, giving her a small smile before she joined Ron who continued to stare at the basin.

"Shall we go?" said Hermione to Ron, touching his shoulder.

Ron caught her eyes and then nodded.

"Do you want to first?" said Ron, his tone not nearly as harsh and sharp as it was with Natalie.

Hermione let go of Ron's shoulder, whispered something that brought a smile to his face and then leaned into the basin. The silvery contents swirled around at a faster pace as her head was slowly drawn into the Pensieve. And then once her head submerged, the rest of her body seemed to almost dive into the basin.

Ron let out a startled gasp. Natalie had to refrain herself from laughing when he grasped at Hermione's legs to stop the dive.

He breathed, gathering himself. And like Hermione and Harry, dropped his head into the basin and when it disappeared, he left the room in a blur.

Natalie rested her head against the wall. She closed her eyes and swallowed. Ron and Hermione's reactions, after they saw those two memories, would not be pleasant. She could already picture Ron's red face and furious expression as he berated her for deceiving Harry. And then Hermione's reaction, Natalie shuddered. Hermione would not shout or scream at her but the disappointment would manifest itself in her tone and the way she looked at Natalie. Harry was a brother to Hermione. And Natalie had no excuse for hiding something so immense from him. Hermione would take this offense against Harry very seriously.

The horrible suffocating sensation of a weight pressing on her chest overcame Natalie. She could not lose Hermione. Not now. Over the last year, Hermione always supported and encouraged her, even when Harry refused to listen to her about Bellatrix. She understood Natalie's need to keep her identity hidden better than anyone else. And they shared so much with each other; not only their interests which were almost identical but about Ron, Harry, Kalissa and even their childhoods. She found Hermione's understanding, calm presence so reassuring.

Cold sweat dripped down Natalie's neck, her throat constricting. The thought of Hermione breaking off their friendship terrified her.

The slight opening of the door aroused Natalie out of her frantic mess of thoughts. She drew out her wand, sliding to the door but saw no one through the gap in the door. Then Natalie saw a shimmering stream of air and a smile formed on her face.

"Kalissa, don't worry, they are in the Pensieve," said Natalie, just loud enough so Kalissa could hear her.

The door opened fully and Kalissa appeared out of nowhere, a concerned look on her face.

"They?" said Kalissa, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, Ron and Hermione," Natalie replied with a shrug. "I already showed Harry- I figured while we still had the memories in the Pensieve, if I was going to tell them, it would be best if I showed them as well."

"I see," said Kalissa slowly. She walked over to Natalie, brushing the strands of hair from Natalie's face and pressing a hand to her cheek. "You look very tired. I gather the encounter with Harry was rather eventful."

Natalie smiled. "He was as angry as I have seen him but he seemed to understand why I didn't tell him. Obviously, he did not like it but the fact that he made the effort to see my side is enough for me."

A surprised expression crossed Kalissa's face. "Oh really then? Very good for him. I always said that the boy was far too mature for his age."

Natalie gently shoved Kalissa away, laughing. "I'm sorry I'm taking your chambers for the afternoon."

"Oh no not at all. I love when you decide to use my room for life changing conversations. Very romantic."

Natalie looked at her in astonishment before shaking her head.

"Did you see Harry then?" asked Natalie, changing the subject.

Kalissa frowned. "Yes I did in fact. He looked to be very distressed but that's to be expected. It's not every day you learn the man who killed your mentor was once friends with your mother."

Natalie's insides writhed at the thought of all the emotions bombarding Harry at the moment.

"Shall I go then?" continued Kalissa, acting as if she had not noticed the pained expression on Natalie's face. "I'm afraid I have other matters to worry about other than that traitor."

Kalissa's words brought something Harry had said to the forefront of Natalie's mind.

She gripped Kalissa's shoulders intently. "There's something else I have to tell you. When Harry and I were er talking, Harry said that Snape was the Death Eater who overheard Trelawney utter the prophecy in front of Dumbledore."

Kalissa stiffened in Natalie's grip. "What?"

"When Harry was walking to Dumbledore's office to travel to that cave, he ran into Trelawney. And she told him the night she interviewed with Dumbledore, Snape was caught eavesdropping on their conversation."

A look of pure wonder sprawled over Kalissa's face. "Oh my…"

Natalie smiled enthusiastically. "It certainly changes a lot."

Kalissa pulled Natalie's hands off her shoulders in excitement. "It would surely make the circumstantial magic so much more powerful and it also means Severus knew of the prophecy so he could have asked Tom to spare-

"Lily's life," finished Natalie, her face dawning in comprehension.

"Precisely and once Severus realized his mistake, it may have been the reason he chose to become a spy. I will have to alter my calculations tonight."

Kalissa's expression darkened slightly. "I'm surprised Albus never told me."

"As am I," said Natalie, squeezing Kalissa's hands. "But I'm certain he had his reasons and I imagine Snape would have made him promise not to tell anybody."

"His reasons somehow never reach me," muttered Kalissa, a touch of bitterness creeping into her voice. "This also complicates many things, not to mention that it makes his betrayal even more confusing if all of my conclusions are correct."

"It does," Natalie agreed. "I still cannot fathom as to what gain there was in killing Dumbledore, even if you ignore Lily and I don't think you can ignore that relationship."

"No you cannot." Kalissa released Natalie's hands. "It looks like your friends are almost done with the memoris."

"What?" said Natalie.

Kalissa pointed at the Pensieve. "Its swirling has slowed and the direction has become more random. I should be best off." She clasped Natalie's shoulder. "Remember Natalie that they are your friends and they will not leave you for something like this. They may be furious but it takes much more than a concealed secret to break off friendships. I may not know relationships well but I know friendship."

Kalissa pressed a kiss on Natalie's forehead before turning around and leaving the room.

Natalie placed her hand on her forehead and the spot on the shoulder Kalissa touched her. Kalissa's words reverberated around her mind, infusing her with a surge of energy. She was right. Their bonds were too strong and deep for her mistake to cut. Yet she could not completely erase the doubt needling her.

As if on cue, Ron and Hermione ascended out of the Pensieve, one following the other. They stumbled into one another, Ron holding Hermione in his arms and steadying her.

Natalie walked to the middle of the room. She stood there, waiting for the two of them to orient themselves.

Ron leaned his back against the desk while Hermione took a seat on the settee.

A silence passed between them. Not an uncomfortable or tense quietness, but a silence that seemed to complement the enormity of the moment. None of the three could find the words to utter nor did any of them feel the need to speak. The maelstrom of emotion brewing within Ron and Hermione would soon simmer through.

And so Natalie waited with an apprehension that neither intensified or faded with time.

And finally Hermione spoke. "So Snape and Harry's mother were best friends."

A thoughtful but somber note rang in her voice. The phrase seemed to lay itself in front of them.

"Yes," Natalie replied softly, feeling like she cemented the phrase.

Ron snorted. "More than friends judging by that picture, at least from his side."

Hermione frowned. "I got that impression as well."

"It was pretty clear," Natalie acknowledged.

Ron crossed his arms, letting out a low whistle. His expression darkened as he looked at Natalie. "How did you manage to keep this from us and Harry for so long?"

Natalie could not help but swallow. For once this afternoon, she was taken by surprise and was at a loss for words.

"Answer the question, Natalie," continued Ron, his voice rising and his tone becoming more bitter, more attacking. "Because every time you saw Harry in the past six months, you knew this."

"Ron," warned Hermione, starting to look very distressed.

"No Hermione!" exclaimed Ron angrily. He pointed his finger at her. "She lied to us. Who the hell does she think she is to keep information about Harry's mother from Harry?"

Natalie's chest tightened at Ron's statement but more importantly the disappointment and sense of betrayal imbibing those words. A familiar emotion bit and clawed at the pits of her stomach. He was right. She deceived all of them. They were her best friends and they deserved more.

Hermione stood up from her seat. "You need to let Natalie speak Ron," said Hermione firmly, a resolved and stern expression on her face. She turned to Natalie, her expression softening slightly. "Can you explain why you chose not to tell Harry?"

The gentleness in Hermione's gaze and her voice released Natalie from the fear throttling her since they left the Pensieve.

Natalie nodded, wetting her lips. "As you must have seen in that second memory, Snape made me promise not to tell anybody. At the time and for many weeks after that, I felt like I should honor the promise since I believed it was not my secret to divulge and therefore I had no right. As well, he saved my life that Christmas night which probably clouded my judgment."

"You were wrong," said Ron flatly. Natalie noticed with a pang of alarm that his ears were flushing red.

"Yes I was," agreed Natalie. "It was a terrible mistake. I failed to appreciate that Harry deserved to know about Snape and his mother more than anybody else and so my responsibility to him should have carried more weight than any promise made to Snape."

Hermione sighed and for the first time, Natalie detected disappointment in her expression. "You are right, Natalie. You should never have hidden this from Harry in the first place; Lily is Harry's mother and he deserved to know."

Her words cut through Natalie. Her insides writhed and twisted viciously as knots of desperation began to form.

But surprising Natalie, Hermione walked over to her and clasped her shoulder.

She gazed into Natalie's eyes, the disappointment still clear on her face but with an underlying softness that calmed Natalie. "I can understand why you hid the secret," said Hermione softly.

Natalie's eyes widened. Hermione's appreciation quelled the emotion biting and clawing at her stomach, lifting her.

"What Hermione?" cried Ron, his cheeks now also red. "How can you justify what she did?"

Hermione's eyes still rested upon Natalie's face. "I'm not justifying it Ron; I agree with you in that she hurt Harry. But Natalie was placed in a very difficult position. It was obviously something that Snape wanted no one to know; such an intimate piece of information should be respected regardless of the person."

"No, this is utter nonsense," snapped Ron, clenching his fists. "You saw how bad Harry looked in the corridor and you're going to say it's ok that she lied to Harry about his own mother."

Natalie wrestled her eyes from Hermione's gentle but penetrating gaze. She slipped out of Hermione's grasp and turned to face Ron.

Her actions seemed to encourage Ron for he stepped towards her, his eyes blazing.

"You lied to him," hissed Ron, his face contorted in fury. "I get why you wouldn't want to tell me or Hermione but this is Harry. You know how he feels about not knowing anything about his parents and you just stood there and remained silent."

Natalie's chin trembled. Ron was completely justified; she had hurt Harry in the place that already stung the most for him. But she held Ron's gaze. Even though her words may be meaningless, she needed to communicate to him, express herself. He deserved it as her friend.

"I'm very sorry," said Natalie, not realizing how shaky her voice sounded. "Ron, you are right in everything you are saying. I had no right to keep such an important piece of information about his mother from Harry. I hate what I've done to him." She paused to regain her voice. "He never deserved to struggle and suffer so much for something I could have helped him with and not now of all times."

Natalie stepped backward, brushing at her eyes from which tears streamed. Thinking of Harry's distress and suffering once again filled her bones with an aching sadness.

Ron unclenched his fists. He opened his mouth as if he was ready to utter another sharp retort but abruptly closed his mouth. His eyes flickered from her to Hermione.

And then when his eyes moved back to her. Ron's fierce, blazing gaze subsided though he still stared at her in anger.

"I would never have wanted to be in your position." He took a deep breath. "But what you did was wrong. This changes too many things- everything about Snape, about Harry's mother, about the circumstantial magic. You should have known better, Natalie."

He shook his head at her, shot a glare at the Pensieve as if it was to blame for Natalie's concealment and then walked out of the room.

At the door, he turned around and looked at Hermione with a much more neutral expression. "I'll see you at supper."

Natalie exhaled loudly, moving to sit on the settee. She rested her chin on her hands as Hermione plopped down next to her.

A pause stretched out between them as Hermione wrung her hands and Natalie stared at the Pensieve. All of the emotion she repressed for much of the last day seemed to uncork in the last few hours; all the anger, frustration, apprehension, nervousness and sadness. And the draining had left her feeling uncharacteristically numb and tired.

But Natalie was firmly aware Hermione was at her side. She was again grateful that Hermione stood up for her, but she needed to talk to Hermione to communicate to her and understand Hermione's feelings. This was far more important than Natalie's exhaustion.

So Natalie collected her breath, prepared to end the silence.

"I'm sorry Hermione," began Natalie in a voice just above a whisper. She leaned back, turning her head to face Hermione who met her eyes with that warm but fierce gaze. "Harry should not suffer like he will and Ron was right- I could have helped him much earlier. Harry deserves more from me and so do you and Ron."

Hermione looked at her thoughtfully before speaking. "I cannot say that I am not very disappointed in you. I hate to see Harry like how he is now." She paused, letting the words sink into Natalie. "But it was inevitable that he would struggle when he found out about his mother. It's shocking for me- I cannot possibly imagine how wrenching it must be for him."

She slid closer to Natalie, placing her hand on her shoulder. "You were placed in a very difficult position. I saw that second memory- it was a big confession for Snape and we never knew that he would become a murderer. There were plenty of reasons for you to feel justified in keeping your promise to Snape, not the least of which is that he saved your life, and to be honest if I was in your position, I do not know what I would have done."

"Thank you Hermione," said Natalie, a content smile spreading across her face. Hermione's words filled her with a wonderful, nourishing fulfillment. "And thank you for supporting me with Ron…..I know how difficult that must have been for you. You're really a great friend."

She pulled Hermione into a tight embrace, not bothering if she was squeezing the daylights out of her friend. She held the hug for a few seconds, wanting to show Hermione how much she appreciated her understanding and kindness.

When she released herself from the hug, Natalie blushed in embarrassment to see Hermione's eyes glistening. She realized with a startle that her own eyes were also welling with tears.

"That might be the strongest hug you've given me," said Hermione, her face glowing.

"You should know how it feels to be a recipient," said Natalie in a choked voice.

Natalie brushed at her eyes again. She feared if she continued staring at Hermione, she would lose her composure.

Hermione seemed to sense Natalie's embarrassment and emotion for she smiled at her, squeezing Natalie's hand and stood.

Hermione's eyes burned with a fierce persistence as she stared at her friend.

"Natalie, all of us will always be there for you. You should know that by now."

With one last smile, Hermione turned and exited the room.

As soon as the door closed, Natalie let the tears flow steady from her eyes, her body shuddering and convulsing. She realized with a wonderful clarity that none of them hated her for keeping this secret. Hermione was right. She had three best friends who were not going anywhere.

**A/N: How did you like Natalie and Harry's conversation? It was a discovery by Harry that I felt if it occurred earlier than in canon, it would have had a tremendous impact. This conversation was difficult and took very long for me to write but it was enjoyable to see. I hope Harry's reaction is mature but understandable.**

**And Ron and Hermione's conversations and interactions? Again, they were quite difficult to capture and predict. I hope it seems realistic and well thought out.**

**There will probably be a chapter coming out tomorrow (much, much shorter). As I said in the beginning, I leave for holiday (out of town) on next Thursday so there will be a delay (3-5 weeks) in the story. I am very sorry and I thank you guys in advance for your patience and support!**


	40. Family

Chapter 40- Family

**A/N: This is basically an extension of the last chapter. I included it as a separate chapter because I wanted to update on Saturday and I was not sure if I could get this section written.**

**Anyway, it is a bit of a different shift from the other chapters.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

Eddies and pools of sunlight floated over the glittering lake, the sparkles dancing as they disappeared and appeared at different spots. All of the rays of sunlight that escaped the trees' reach played and weaved together above the surface when they realized the lake's waters would not entertain them. The great mass, underneath which resided a vast spectrum of magical and Muggle creatures, stretched out across the ground like a drowsy, immense beast guarding the castle rising above it. It was not easily stirred, but when agitated, it awoke with devastating power.

Natalie sighed, taking a seat on a grassy embankment on the west side of the lake. The lake and its unnaturally black colour always unnerved her, but the beauty of this late afternoon was too enthralling for her to resist. And she needed the space and time for herself.

Today was exhausting. Ron, Hermione and Harry all were stunned, angered and disappointed with her but they, well at least Hermione and Harry, sensed and appreciated why she kept the secret for so long. However, it did not mean that any of them were too willing to talk to her. And Natalie expected nothing less from them; she would have been disappointed if no tension or discomfort existed. Hermione would no doubt be the first to approach her, but even Hermione needed some time to absorb and appraise what they knew.

Natalie pulled off her jumper. For once, no clouds blanketed the sky and a warm, gentle wind billowed through the air. She let a smile come at her face as she enjoyed the sunlight streaming over her, warming her skin. It was a very pleasant, soothing sensation. Gladly, the other students walking and relaxing around the lake as well as the two or three Aurors on patrol were far away.

She allowed her gaze to wander, appreciating the scenery. The late afternoon sun just flowed at a gentle trickle over the trees so that the watery beams of sunlight only struck certain leaves. And then only certain parts of those leaves let the light drape over them as the shadows of their nearby friends fell on other sides and edges. The stark contrast between shade and light, dark and golden yellow on the same leaf, gave the leaves a beautiful, striking glow, like embers on the ends of a coal rod. She much preferred this late afternoon incandescense in comparison to the early afternoon bathing of all the leaves in a golden radiance when the sun lay in a higher, more sweeping position in the sky.

The lower position of the sun to the west also allowed for shadows to lengthen across the ground, reducing the sunlight that managed to flow unhindered through the branches into mere slivers and patches. And as a result, the shadows painted the ground in fascinating, lifelike shapes. Below Natalie, a city spread across the grass; buildings, towers, spires of all sizes and shapes stretching to the lake, windows of light scattered through each structure.

The wind rose in strength, whistling through the trees behind Natalie. The branches

swished at each other, their flapping leaves making a crisp, rippling sound like the ruffling of feathers on a flock of birds when they take off.

As the wind subsided to its much milder brushing motion and the branches returned to sliding and shuffling among one another, another shadow flitted through Natalie's vision, obscuring the buildings below her.

And a second later, the snapping of a twig and the dull thud of someone falling accompanied the shadow.

Natalie drew out her wand, jerking her body around to see who managed to sneak upon her. She lowered her wand though when she saw a familiar pink haired Auror picking herself off the ground.

"Tonks," Natalie acknowledged with a nod though an uneasiness immediately gripped her. She remembered Kalissa's words too well and though she knew Tonks would not tell anybody, she could not help but feel exposed in front of the woman.

"Wotcher Natalie," said Tonks with a warm smile which eased Natalie's nerves slightly. "Sorry about my slip."

Natalie waved her off. "No worries. I didn't even notice you."

"I'm getting better at keeping my footsteps quiet," said Tonks proudly with a wink. "Though you're lucky it was me and not somebody else."

Natalie nodded, knowing she had been too immersed in her worries and observations to see if someone was coming. "I should have noticed."

"Mind if I take a seat?" asked Tonks, wringing her hands in what Natalie thought was an uncharacteristic sign of nerves.

Natalie was surprised that she did not find Tonks' presence intrusive even though she suspected the Auror was not here by accident. The notion that the woman was family strangely comforted her.

"Of course, take a seat," said Natalie, patting a spot on the grass right next to her.

Tonks smiled at her as she sat by Natalie's side.

"So you're not on Auror duty?" asked Natalie.

"Not now," Tonks replied, her eyes darting to the two Aurors walking around the lake a few hundred yards away from them. "I took the morning shift and I will likely have the evening one tonight."

"Busy life," noted Natalie, realizing how little sleep the woman must be getting.

Tonks shrugged her shoulders. "It's busy times and I like to keep my feet active. And patrolling Hogwarts is not such a stressful job- I reckon he's not going to attack very soon."

"Nah," Natalie said with a gleam in her eye. "One destructive event a year is enough for him I think."

Tonks laughed. "That's a brilliant way of putting it."

Following a brief pause, Tonks again spoke, "It's a beautiful afternoon."

"Yes it is," said Natalie with a wry smile. "Though I wish I had less on my mind."

Tonks gave a shaky laugh. "I think we all do." She twirled a blade of grass in her hands. She lowered her gaze to the ground, her voice becoming lower and more cautious. "Remus and I saw Harry today-

"I imagine he wasn't too happy," said Natalie, her stomach taking a steep lurch.

"No he wasn't," Tonks agreed, her voice rising in confidence again. "He actually demanded that I leave so that he could talk to Remus alone."

Natalie took a breath. She knew Tonks was curious but she could not talk about Snape right now.

"I know why he was so upset and there is plenty of reason," said Natalie slowly and as kindly as he could. "But I'm sorry Tonks; I just cannot tell you right now what's bothering him. I don't have the right to tell you at the moment; maybe Remus can but not me." She ignored the irony of her words when she assumed such a right for the last few months.

Tonks shifted on the grass, moving closer to Natalie and placing a hand on her arm.

"I figured as much Natalie and there's no need to feel bad. I was worried about Harry; when he is in these moods, it quite frankly scares me."

Natalie swallowed, the guilt rising within her. "Don't worry you are not the only one."

Tonks gave another nervous laugh. "Glad to know."

They passed into an awkward silence. Both stared at the Black lake, neither knowing quite what to say or how to address the memory wrapping around both of them.

After a few moments of her insides writhing and churning anxiously, Natalie heard Tonks swallow. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the woman wet her lips.

And then Tonks turned toward her. Natalie felt obliged to meet her gaze.

"I want to thank you for saving my life that night with Bellatrix," said Tonks, her brown eyes sparkling and her expression solemn.

Natalie's cheeks flushed. "Really Tonks it was not-

"No," said Tonks firmly, again placing her hand on Natalie's arm. "Kalissa told me that you allowed Bellatrix to take you as long as she left me alone. You saved my life or at the very least prevented a horrible torture. Thank you- it was extremely brave of you."

Tonks' words snapped something within Natalie. An exhilaration pulsed through her, her previous uneasiness and anxiety appearing much more distant and unimportant. The gratitude lacing her voice and expression cemented the conviction within Natalie that Tonks was not disgusted or angered at her identity.

And so Natalie said the next phrase that came to her, even though the words seemed to carry a reckless abandon.

"Well that's what family is for," said Natalie, her cheeks reddening the moment she said the phrase.

Tonks stared at her in astonishment. She opened and closed her mouth several times, her expression somehow becoming more dazed with each failed attempt.

And then just as Natalie was starting to believe she had completely misevaluated the situation, Tonks burst out laughing, rolling onto the grass and slapping her hand on the grass.

Now it was Natalie's turn to stare in bewilderment. But as she realized the hilarity of the situation, she joined Tonks, their laughter seeming to ripple across the lake and ring through the trees. She noticed some of the other students cast them perplexed glances but she ignored them. It was very funny. Cousins who could only laugh with each other about a near death experience involving their aunt as the perpetrator.

Once both of them calmed down, Natlie, still smiling to herself, spread out her legs on the grass. Tonks returned to her position besides her.

"I have heard some funny things," Tonks commented, her eyes sparkling and her hair changing colours at a surprisingly fast speed. "But that has to top my list."

"It was certainly a nice way to break the tension," Natalie noted.

Tonks' hair settled on the usual pink colour. She drew a deep breath, seeming to calm herself. And then she starting biting her lip and wringing her hands again. Natalie presumed that a sharp awareness of the moment had struck her.

Tonks fidgeted with the blade of grass in her hands. "Kalissa told me about Bellatrix being-

"My mother," stated Natalie, still surprised at how comfortable she felt. "I suppose you know the whole story about my father being a Muggle and what Bellatrix did to him."

Tonks stopped fidgeting with the blade of grass. "Yes. I'm so sorry Natalie."

Natalie turned her face towards Tonks. "You don't have to feel nervous. I am not angry or scared that you know who I am."

Tonks' entire body seemed to relax, a smile spreading across her features.

"Thank you Natalie," Tonks whispered. She paused before continuing. "I am really very sorry about what you have had to endure. And the fact that Bellatrix is your mother changes nothing about the way I look at you; you are still as brilliant and strong as I've seen and heard."

Natalie could not help but smile at the strength of conviction in Tonks voice, the warmth and sincerity in her fervor to ensure Natalie knew she was telling the complete truth. And Natalie knew.

She clasped the pink haired woman's hand. "Thank you Tonks. You have no idea how much I appreciate the support."

Tonks nodded. "And you need to know that I will not tell anyone, not even Remus or my mother."

"You do not need to tell me that," said Natalie softly. "And anyway, I think more people should know. I'm not fully ready yet but soon." She surprised herself with the statement. Having her mother as Bellatrix still bothered her but it did not define her and that Natalie felt, made the biggest difference. At some point, she would be able to tell others without feeling so exposed and vulnerable.

Tonks winked at her. "Anyway, I think my impression of you improved once I realized she was your mother. We're cousins!"

"Yes we are," said Natalie, a brilliant warmth spreading over her.

Tonks cast her arm around her. "I never thought I would have a cousin I actually liked."

Natalie also wrapped her arm around Tonks. "I rather think I'm a better alternative than Malfoy."

"Yes you are." Tonks rubbed at her eyes with her other hand. "Sirius would have been so happy to hear about you."

Natalie squeezed Tonks' shoulders. "I would have loved to meet him."

"He would have loved you," said Tonks in a rather choked voice. " Of course, I imagine first he would have been amazed that Bellatrix could have produced something so wonderful."

Upon seeing Tonks' emotion at the mention of Sirius, a thought occurred to Natalie. A twinge of unease quickly accompanied the notion. She saw herself as separate from Bellatrix but not for that purpose. Not yet at the least.

The thought however continued to dominate her mind, bringing with it an anticipation that she struggled to quell.

"I imagine it is quite shocking to learn that she had a child with a Muggle."

Tonks frowned. "It is though mum always said Bellatrix was a much different person at one point."

"I can see that," said Natalie, a heaviness settling in her stomach as she remembered those memories.

A contemplative expression unfolded across Tonks' face. "I remember mum saying that Bellatrix never really became obsessed with the pure blood nonsense till she met You know who."

"That's reassuring," commented Natalie softly.

The anticipation broke free, rising within Natalie. She swallowed as the unease fought against the building emotion. The decision lay before her; right now would be the most opportune moment.

Tonks thankfully did not notice her internal struggle. "I imagine it is though I can't really think of her as a sister or as my aunt. I mean the last two times I've met her, she hasn't exactly been merciful with me."

Natalie laughed at the veiled humour. Tonks winked at her.

And then suddenly, the unease fell away. As Bellatrix was Tonks' aunt, so was….and Natalie made her decision. She may not be ready yet, but this was not about her. Others deserved to know more than she needed to feel comfortable.

Natalie cleared her throat, trying to pick her words. "Tonks, you know I would like to keep my identity a secret but if you want to tell your mother or even father, it is fine."

Tonks' eyes widened. The hope saturating her expression gave her an endearing air of vulnerability.

"You are fine with it?" said Tonks breathlessly. A distressed look appeared on her face. "Natalie, when I was talking about my mum, I did not mean to goat you into-

"No I know," said Natalie more firmly. "They deserve to know- they are my family as well." And with that last sentence, a deep rooted conviction came over Natalie that she made the right decision.

"Yes they are," said Tonks, her expression glowing. 

Natalie smiled at her. "Just make sure they do not tell anyone else."

"Oh don't worry I will," said Tonks, a mischievous glint in her eye. She hugged Natalie tightly. "I know this must be a big step for you. Thank you so much Natalie."

"Like I said, your mum is my aunt," said Natalie, a wave of emotion rolling over her.

"She will be so happy to know about you," said Tonks, her expression absolutely radiant. She seemed to be bouncing up and down on the grass.

"As will I." Natalie could sense the emotion bursting through within her. She considered Minerva and Kalissa family but she never had people in her lives she could legitimately label as family. A wonderful, liberating joy rushed through her at the knowledge that she and Tonks shared this connection. And then the notion she also had an aunt and uncle was just as heartening.

"Sorry," said Natalie, her voice quivering. "It's just very nice." She brushed at her eyes, embarrassed that the tears were already forming.

Tonks rubbed her back, gazing out over the lake. "I know."

**A/N: How did you like the Tonks/Natalie dynamic and Natalie's decision to make her identity known to Andromeda and Ted? It's one of the nice things about being Bellatrix's daughter is that she literally has her family so close at hand. It is a shame that Sirius is dead at this point in the series; I imagine he and Natalie would have been very close!**

**The last three chapters have been very conversation rich and been more about the interactions between characters within the context of their relationships.**

**The next chapter will have some more action. As I said in my last update, I will be leaving next Thursday for holiday (out of town). I plan to write as much of the next chapter as I can but I might not finish and there will probably be a delay in the story (3-5 weeks). I'm very sorry and thanks in advance for all of your patience and support.**


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